Vegas and Its Temptations
by Bobapearl
Summary: When Ren was invited to a full-paid vacation to Vegas by President Lory, he had to admit he was slightly wary, knowing very well what kind of city Vegas could be. But when he found out that Kyoko was coming along, wariness was the last thing on his mind.
1. Chapter 1: Vegas and More?

Hi Everyone! First off, I want to give a special thanks to all the people who read my last story "A Threat She Never Saw Coming." I loved all the feedback and glad you enjoyed it. So this is a new story I came up with after I got back from vacation. I had so many ideas that I HAD to write them down. Hopefully you all will enjoy it like my other stories. Please Read and Review!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters.**

* * *

"A vacation?" Ren asked incredulously as his hand stopped midway towards the table to put his glass of wine down. "What brought all this on?"

President Lory chuckled heartily. "You're making it sound as if I'm scheming, Ren. I must say I'm deeply offended."

Ren narrowed his eyes as he set the wine glass upon the wooden tabletop. Placing one leg over the other and crossing his arms, he replied smoothly, "I wasn't implying that you were up to no good, sir. I was only curious. Dark Moon has gotten more popular than ever with each passing day and it's not like you don't know that I'm booked for every hour. A vacation seems hardly possible."

"Don't you worry about that, Ren," the President said with a large smile. "Work can be put on hold for a measly little week. After all, you are way past due for a well-deserved break."

Even though the President maintained eye contact, Ren recognized that devious and familiar glint in his eye. Besides, if there was anyone Ren inherited his hardworking personality from, it would be from his boss. President Lory took work extremely seriously and the fact that he planned such a long vacation made Ren even more suspicious that there was some underlying motive behind it all.

However, Ren hadn't a clue as to what it was. And even while he was sitting there trying to decipher President Lory's facial expression, he had to admit that a vacation sounded nice. In fact, Ren could even feel the knots in his back unwind at the prospect of sleeping in until twelve in the afternoon and relaxing on a comfortable recliner chair until dinner. It seemed like paradise on earth.

The President must have noticed Ren's longing expression because he smirked and asked, "Sounds pretty good right now, doesn't it?"

Ren chuckled. "Any vacation sounds good, sir. But you're right; it couldn't have come at a better time."

"I'm glad you approve."

Uncrossing his legs and slightly leaning forward, Ren asked curiously, "So where is this vacation?"

President Lory smiled at his eagerness. "It'll be a lot of fun. Although, I must admit, it's probably not a place you would have chosen, Ren."

He raised an eyebrow and replied in a wary tone, "What do you mean by that?"

"Now, now," the President began with an impatient wave of his hand. "You will still have time to relax and I promise you it will be a vacation you will never forget."

"But…?" Ren asked, drawing out the word.

President Lory averted his gaze and placed his hands together on his lap, twiddling his thumbs. He seemed to be choosing his words very carefully which made Ren all the more apprehensive.

After a couple of very long seconds, the President turned his eyes back to Ren's anxious face and laughed. "Don't look so tense, Ren. I'm not sending you to Antarctica."

Ren chuckled, but it sounded slightly off since he was still waiting for the answer. "Sir, where are we going?" he pressed.

President Lory's face broke out into a grin as he handed Ren a brochure from the inside of his elaborate emperor robes. Ren quickly took hold of the tiny packet and read the bright, red letters printed on top: LAS VEGAS.

Ren slowly raised his head with wide eyes.

"Las Vegas?" he managed to choke out. "You can't be serious."

The President frowned. "What do you mean by that?" he asked.

Ren spluttered an incomprehensible answer and stood up from his chair. Running his hand through his silky hair, he replied in a voice filled with disbelief, "That's hardly a vacation, sir. Relaxing in Las Vegas? I would have a better chance in Antarctica."

"You've been there before?"

Ren glowered. He could remember the time he went there with his parents when he was much younger. The city was quiet enough in the morning, with the typical tourists roaming around and taking plenty of pictures of all the remarkable hotels. And while the younger individuals bravely made their way through the undeniable heat, the older folks remained back at the air-conditioned hotel and were practically glued to the slot machines as all of their money was drained away.

But the night life was nothing like he could have ever imagined. Walking out onto the streets in the extremely dry weather was highly uncomfortable, not to mention the hundreds of people bumping into your shoulder. Of course, all the night clubs were open which meant there were dozens of young girls walking around in scantily dressed outfits that not only made it seem as if it was a crime, but also lured in dangerous sharks from every corner.

Alcohol at a party was one thing, but alcohol in Las Vegas was nothing less but a one way ticket to trouble. Men in colorful, button-collared shirts walked together in hordes, catcalling and jeering at every girl they passed. Some even went as far as reaching out and touching them in places that many would call assault.

Ren couldn't say he liked Las Vegas. The only thing he actually liked there were the shows and the sightseeing. Of course the brochure was right that the city was beautiful, but it failed to mention all the underlying dirt that littered the place when night came along.

"I've visited," Ren answered with a grimace. "And I can't say that I'm eager to return."

"How old were you?"

"Probably around eight years old," he replied.

The President shook his head. "No wonder you didn't like it. How could an eight year old enjoy the sights of Las Vegas?"

Ren scoffed. "So basically you're saying it's an adult world there? Nice to know."

"I didn't mean it to sound like that, Ren," the President said with a slight irritation. "I'm just commenting that at a young age like that you might not have been able to experience the city to its fullest."

He wasn't convinced, but remained silent all the same.

President Lory narrowed his eyes. "You don't want to go?"

Ren sighed. Saying no to a trip that his boss personally invited him to wasn't exactly a smart career move. So forcing a smile upon his face, Ren shook his head and said, "A vacation is a vacation, sir. No matter where it is."

"Now that's the ticket!" he exclaimed happily. "I'm glad you feel that way."

"So," Ren asked as he sat down and took another sip from his wine. "Who's coming?"

The President tapped a finger to his chin. "Let's see," he said slowly as he racked his brain. Counting the number of people off his fingers, he answered in a mechanical voice, "There's you, and then me. And of course, Yashiro, we can't forget him. Oh, Director Ogata agreed to come along as well as Sawara. I also invited Ruriko, Chiori, and Jelly. I think they'll have fun. Maria _insisted_ on coming, but I hardly think she'll enjoy it. Still, she knows you'll be there so obviously she'll be tagging along."

Ren glared. "Maria's coming?"

A sweet, innocent girl like her roaming the streets made Ren clench his fists together.

The President laughed as he replied reassuringly, "Don't worry. My assistant will be with her at all times. Don't make Vegas sound like a city from Hell, Ren."

"_You think it's a joke,"_ he thought darkly, but didn't say a word as he relaxed his arms.

"Is there anyone else?" Ren asked politely.

The President raised his eyes to the ceiling. "I invited the entire Dark Moon cast so it seems like they're all coming. After all, a vacation entirely paid for by me is not something to pass by." He chuckled amusingly.

Then suddenly, he snapped his fingers together. "That's right! Kotonami-san just got back to me this morning and said she would be honored to come."

Ren froze. He felt as if his entire body had turned cold as he stared at his boss with wide eyes.

"Kotonami-san is coming?" he croaked.

The President smirked. "That won't be a problem. Will it, Ren?"

His heart started to throb menacingly as he pictured the faces of two girls in his mind. One belonged to a disgruntled Kanae Kotonami, but the other was a face filled with laughter and joyfulness. Her raging orange hair blew in the gentle wind as she had her arm wrapped around her best friend. He couldn't believe this. If Kotonami-san was coming, then most likely she would be—!

Suddenly, Ren was pulled from his horror as a soft knock echoed through the large office. The President automatically raised himself from his throne-like chair and walked towards the double oak doors. He placed his hand on the golden doorknob and gave it a quick turn.

Ren's heart seemed to beat faster as the door swung open to reveal her beautiful face. She was wearing her regular, pink uniform and as always had her back bent into a low, respectful bow.

"Good afternoon, President Lory sir."

"Hello Mogami-san. Why don't you come in?" he said with a kind smile as he motioned his hand into the office.

Kyoko gave one more bow as she walked in and when her eyes laid upon Ren, a deep red blush colored her cheeks as she bowed again and greeted him with a politeness that made Ren's heart ache in misery.

Ren smiled (in somewhat of a strained way) and stood up. "How are—?"

He faltered. Ren's eyes slowly wandered to the piece of paper clasped tightly between both of her hands. It had the same familiar red writing. And when Kyoko noticed what he was staring at she suddenly looked at his hands and saw the same, exact pamphlet.

She let out a gasp of surprise and raised the brochure in her hand.

"You too, Tsuruga-san?" Kyoko asked excitedly.

But before he could reply, the President walked over to Kyoko and placed a firm hand on her shoulder.

"That's right, Mogami-san—"

President Lory grinned in Ren's direction.

"—we're all going."

And while Kyoko giggled happily, Ren had never felt so horrified.

"_Me and Kyoko in Las Vegas?"_

He groaned internally.

"_You must really hate me."_


	2. Chapter 2: Everyone Together

Hello! Thank you so much for reading my latest story. I'm glad that you guys really like this idea because I have quite a few stuff lined up for this one. Hehe, hopefully you'll like this chapter so please read and review! You guys are the best!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters.**

* * *

Kanae waited outside of Kyoko's door, leaning against the doorframe and tapping her foot incessantly upon the floor as she listened to her friend rummage for her items throughout the room.

"I'm probably going to need this…oh! And that blouse might work…did I pack deodorant? Hold on…there it is….wait, where's my phone…oh no, did I lose it again? Ah! Found it…now just a couple of more items…there you go…just a little more…come on…"

Crossing her arms, Kanae stuck her head through the doorway and saw Kyoko bouncing up and down on her suitcase, trying to close up the zipper before all of its contents burst out.

"Oh there you are Moko-san!" Kyoko exclaimed breathlessly as she was tugging on the zipper. "Think you can help?"

Kanae groaned in annoyance. "This is why you pack the day _before_," she chided as she plopped herself down upon the luggage with much disdain. After much effort, the two girls finally managed to get the zipper to go all the way around. They both fell off and sat beside it, breathing a little heavier than before.

Kyoko wiped her forehead with the back of her hand and sighed in relief. "Thanks, Moko-san."

"You know, it would be easier to just bring another suitcase. You didn't have to fit it all into that one," she said as she stood up and brushed her hands across her newly-wrinkled skirt.

"I didn't want to take up any unnecessary space," Kyoko said as she pulled the suitcase upwards and brought out the handle. "Besides, it's enough."

Kanae shook her head and looked about Kyoko's room. It seemed as if the whole entire place was cleaned out. All that was left was the large mattress on her floor. "Got everything?" she asked, although she highly doubted the fact Kyoko would forget anything, considering the state of her bedroom.

Kyoko nodded and smiled. "Yup! So what time is the flight?"

Kanae reached inside her handbag and pulled out her ticket. "It says here 1:15 and right now—" She checked her cell phone.

"—it's 12:00."

"Then we—should—go," Kyoko said in a strained voice as she lugged her suitcase down the stairs, thumping loudly along the way.

Kanae closed the door and followed behind. As soon as Kyoko bade her goodbyes to the landlord and his wife, both girls waited for a taxi out front. Kyoko only had one medium-sized suitcase while Kanae had three, not to mention the large handbag she already wore over her shoulder.

Kyoko looked down at her stuff and couldn't stop herself from saying, "Wow, Moko-san. You sure are bringing a lot."

Kanae flipped her glossy, black hair over her shoulder and said simply, "I couldn't decide what to leave at home."

Kyoko laughed as a yellow taxi pulled up. The driver seemed slightly uneasy as he looked at all the luggage he had to fit into his trunk, but surprisingly enough, it all fit. Kanae and Kyoko were able to comfortably sit in the back as Kyoko leaned over to the front seat and said, "The airport please."

"Sure thing ma'am."

And with a quiet start of the engine, the car made its way down the street. Kyoko turned to ask Kanae a question when she suddenly realized how funny her friend looked. Kanae had such a grave expression on her face that it made Kyoko giggle in response.

"What?" Kanae asked with a raised eyebrow as she turned around.

Kyoko shook her head and asked in an amused voice, "Are you excited, Moko-san?"

She shrugged. "I guess. I just hope I don't miss any important job calls over there."

"You're on vacation!" Kyoko exclaimed. "There won't be any job calls."

Kanae sighed and leaned her head back, staring at her friend out of the corner of her eye. "Sounds like you're excited."

Kyoko nodded vigorously. "It's the first time I have ever been out of Japan! I can't wait to see what Las Vegas is like!"

Kanae didn't reply as she watched Kyoko's eyes glaze over, indicating that she had left planet earth and arrived in fantasy land. Although Kanae had been out of the country before, she couldn't help but notice that she was also somewhat excited to go, since this would be the first time she was going anywhere with a friend. Turning her head away, she secretly smiled at the window as she thought about walking around the mall and relaxing with someone instead of by herself.

Kyoko, on the other hand, was nearly buzzing with joy at the prospect of a vacation. As soon as she found out she was going, Kyoko immediately tried to look up everything she could about Vegas and found out that it was a city full of fun. Although she was only seventeen years old and wasn't old enough to hit the casinos, there were plenty of other things to do, like watching circus shows, hanging out by the pool, shopping, and just plain old sight-seeing.

And the fact that she'll be with everyone else was a great plus too. Then, without realizing that she was doing it, Kyoko's mind suddenly wandered to a specific someone who would be accompanying along the way. A deep blush covered her cheeks as she thought about spending time with him outside of the work place. It would be nice for a change to see him casually, rather than professionally. But of course, Kyoko was well aware that he was still her mentor and that even though they were on a fun trip together, it didn't mean that the lines were blurred.

Shaking her head to clear her already fuzzy mind, Kyoko looked out the window and realized that they were approaching the airport.

"We're here, Moko-san!"

Kanae sighed. "I noticed," she said in a bored voice to mask the anticipation bubbling inside her.

And without further ado, the car stopped right in front of the gate for Continental Airlines. Kyoko quickly got out of the car and stared up at the large sign, feeling her stomach churn with excitement. After giving the taxi driver the money and pulling their luggage through the automated doors, Kanae and Kyoko took a good look around the large space and saw long lines of people checking in. It looked so incredibly busy that both girls felt tired just looking at it.

Suddenly, Kyoko noticed a familiar face standing to the side of the large, bustling crowd.

"There you guys are!"

Jelly quickly ran towards them with a large smile upon her face. "We were worried you got lost!"

"We?" Kyoko asked curiously, as she looked around for someone else.

"Well, I wouldn't say worried," Ruriko replied with a sniff as she walked up from behind Jelly. "Annoyed is a better term."

Kyoko smiled widely at seeing Ruriko again, but Kanae, on the other hand, glared.

"Waiting around might do you some good, Ruriko. Something else you ought to learn," she said darkly, knowing fully well Ruriko's pesky problem in the past.

But before Ruriko could open her mouth and retort, Jelly clapped her one on the shoulder and said with a laugh, "Now, now, you guys. This is supposed to be fun. Fighting before we get there is a bad omen for the trip."

Kyoko nodded and nudged Kanae on the shoulder. And once Kanae gave a slight turn of her head, signaling that she was done, Kyoko smiled and asked Jelly, "Where's everyone else?"

"Well, Darling is making sure everything is going as planned. We don't have to check in since he's done it for us."

"Darling?" Ruriko asked with a small frown. "Who's that?"

"Well, you would know him as President Lory," she replied with a wave of her hand. "But that sounds really weird coming from his girlfriend, don't you think?"

Ruriko's jaw dropped. "You're his girlfriend?"

Jelly giggled. "Why do you look so surprised?" she asked.

Spluttering, Ruriko looked like her eyes were going to pop out as she stuttered, "But aren't you a little young for him?"

"What are you talking about, silly? I'm thirty-three and he's not that much older than me."

"THIRTY-THREE?" Ruriko shrieked. "You're kidding!"

Jelly shook her head with a bright smile. "Nope, I'm dead serious," she replied with a wink.

But before any more words could be exchanged, the front doors suddenly slid open once again, revealing a tall, dark silhouette. However, before Kyoko could even turn around to properly see who it was, a deafening roar erupted from the crowd as they yelled:

"TSURUGA REN!"

* * *

Not knowing why it happened, Kyoko could feel her heart rapidly beating in her chest as she stared into his calm face. He was wearing light brown slacks, a simple dark green collared shirt, and had a beige jacket over his arm. He gracefully made his way in and took a quick look around, smiling at the crowd of onlookers who were trying to get closer to him. Thankfully, the security guards held them all at bay, allowing Ren to spot the one person he was hoping to see all day.

With a breathtaking smile that seemed to light up the entire room, Ren walked forward with Yashiro close behind. Once he reached the small group, he politely greeted the other girls like any other day, but when he turned to Kyoko, his expression seemed to soften just a bit as he said in a silky voice, "Good afternoon, Mogami-san."

"Good afternoon to you too, Tsuruga-san," Kyoko replied in a somewhat of a breathless way as she bowed her head.

He smiled at her as Yashiro chimed in, "Hi Kyoko-chan!"

Kyoko smiled widely as she stared into his bright face. "Hi, Yashiro-san."

"So, where's everyone else?" Ren asked as he looked over their heads.

And right on cue, President Lory, who was holding Maria's hand, Sawara, and Director Ogata walked out together, waving eagerly at everyone.

"Ren!" Maria cried elatedly as she rushed into his open arms. Ren easily picked her up and laid a quick kiss on her forehead. She giggled. "You're here!"

"Yup, and so are you," he replied with a low chuckle.

Maria wrapped her arms around his neck and noticed Kyoko not standing far away. With shining eyes, she said, "Onee-san is here too!"

Kyoko smiled brightly and walked up to her. "Hi Maria."

"Alright, looks like everyone came," President Lory said happily as Director Ogata and Sawara smiled at Kyoko who bowed to them in greeting.

"But wait," Sawara began with a raised eyebrow. "Where's Amamiya-san? And the others?"

"The rest of the Dark Moon cast is already on the plane," Director Ogata replied.

"And Chiori called and said she won't make it in time," Jelly said with a sad shake of her head. "But she said she'll get a ticket change and arrive first thing tomorrow morning."

"Well then," the President began with a beaming smile, "since that's all cleared up, let's go get our bags checked out and then board the plane."

Then in one large group, everyone walked together towards the gate, with the girls walking in front and the guys following behind. Ren stayed back with the men, with Maria in one arm and his duffel bag in the other. But even though he said a comment every now and then, his eyes refused to leave Kyoko's face. He watched her happily chatting away with Jelly and could feel a longing for her to speak to him too. It sounded pathetic, but Ren was feeling slightly jealous of Jelly at the moment.

And although everyone else didn't notice, Yashiro immediately realized Ren's lack of attention to the conversation and saw that he was too focused on the girl in front of him. He looked up at Ren with a smile and determinedly made it his goal to make sure that Ren gets as much Kyoko-time as he could possibly get while they were on vacation together.

Thankfully for Ren though and unfortunately for Kyoko, the zipper on her luggage couldn't take the strain much longer from all the stuff inside and popped open right as they were entering the corridor to hand off their bags.

Everyone immediately swooped down to help her, but Kyoko said in an anxious voice, "It's okay! I can do it. You should all go on ahead." If there was anything Kyoko hated more in the world, it would be being a nuisance.

"Let us help you," Director Ogata replied as he picked up a shirt. "It'll be quicker."

"No, it's really unnecessary!" Kyoko said with even more anxiety.

Seeing her so distraught, Ren gently laid Maria and his bag down, and placed a hand upon her shoulder. "You don't have to do it by yourself."

And like a tidal wave, Kyoko could feel all the stress leave her body as she stared into his kind face. President Lory caught on quite fast as he turned to everyone and said, "It looks like Ren can handle it without us. How about we all go on then and save you both a seat?"

Ren raised his head and met the President's amused gaze. Slightly irked, but also thankful, he nodded and watched the others walk away. Yashiro, who had Ren's bag over his shoulder, grinned widely at the luck that was bestowed upon Ren while Kanae, on the other hand, turned around and gave them both a calculating gaze. Eventually, both of them managed to continue on with the others, leaving Ren and Kyoko alone.

Kyoko sighed as she neatly re-folded one of her jeans and placed it into the suitcase. "I'm sorry for being such a bother, Tsuruga-san."

Ren laughed gently and said, "It's not a problem, Mogami-san. I'm glad to be of assistance."

And together, they were able to put everything back in its place and zip up the suitcase in less than five minutes. After they were done, Ren fluidly grabbed the suitcase and began to pull it along when Kyoko suddenly reached out with a horrified look and said, "There's no need for you to take it, Tsuruga-san!"

"It's fine, Mogami-san," he said with a smile as he easily took it out of her hands.

"But—!"

Kyoko fell silent as she saw the stern look in his eyes. Blushing profusely, she nodded and replied in a small voice, "Thank you, Tsuruga-san."

And together, they walked forward, side by side as Ren couldn't help but realize more and more that he was actually alone with her. Forcing himself to make small talk, Ren cleared this throat silently and asked, "Are you excited for Vegas?"

She looked up and nodded. "You?"

Ren didn't reply immediately since he didn't want to tell her that Vegas wasn't exactly a city he would have chosen. That would probably make things awkward since she was so enthusiastic about seeing it. So instead he said, "I think it'll be an interesting trip."

Of course, Ren knew it would be more than just interesting. The fact that he was spending his time with Kyoko in the City of Sin was probably going to drive him insane. Looking at her innocent face out of the corner of his eye made Ren all the more determined to make sure she will have fun in Vegas without all of the nasty trouble.

"_And hopefully that fun can include me as well,"_ he thought silently as he imagined himself sitting in a restaurant with a smiling Kyoko sitting across from him.

"Tsuruga-san," Kyoko began quietly.

Ren jumped slightly, but turned his full attention back to her.

"Yes?"

"Are you upset that I'm here?" she asked softly, refusing to meet his gaze as she continued onward.

Ren froze in an instant and stopped right in his tracks. Kyoko stopped too and timidly raised her head a fraction of an inch.

She didn't know why she suddenly decided to ask him that now. It was really quite random. But while they were walking together, she couldn't help but remember his facial expression when the President said she was tagging along. He looked mortified. Maybe he thought that this vacation would give her the idea that they were on the same level, as if they were friends. Maybe he didn't want her here at all.

But while Kyoko was sulking, Ren felt the blood in his body run cold. How could she say such a ridiculous thing? Shaking his head slightly, Ren asked with disbelief, "Why do you think that?"

Kyoko looked down at her feet and mumbled, "You seemed really…surprised yesterday when you found out I was coming."

Wanting to beat himself over the head, Ren forced himself to keep his composure as he took a step forward to Kyoko. She didn't look up and it nearly killed him for him to see how she refused to meet his eyes. At first, Ren hesitantly extended a hand, wanting to brush his fingertips across her cheek. That way, maybe she'll look up at him.

But he knew that was highly unnecessary. Besides, it might even make the situation worse. So lowering his hand and sighing heavily, he decided to take the easy way out.

"Mogami-san, please look at me."

Kyoko slowly raised her head.

"I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression," Ren said with a pained smile. "Believe me, I'm glad that you're here."

She didn't reply except give a small nod.

Knowing that she was unconvinced, Ren decided to take it a step further as he tilted his head slightly down to her level so that they stared eye to eye. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"In fact," Ren continued tenderly. "If there was anyone I want to go on a trip with, it would be you."

At first, Kyoko couldn't believe her ears. She felt as if steam was bursting out of her pores because it felt as if lava was coursing through her veins. But suddenly, a natural smile crept across her face at his words and she nodded at his gentle gaze.

"Thank you, Tsuruga-san."

He flashed a brilliant smile in return and began to walk forward with Kyoko slightly trailing behind. She secretly had a hand over her heart, feeling its spasmodic beats and trying to force it into a normal pace. By the time she felt like normal, they had already boarded the plane.

Of course, everyone was flying first class. There were about thirty plushy seats and nearly all of them were filled with familiar faces. President Lory was right; the whole entire Dark Moon cast really did come.

And while Kyoko was smiling at everyone, she suddenly heard a voice call out her name.

"Kyoko!"

She looked up and saw Momose Itsumi sitting with the rest of the cast near the back.

"Hi!" Kyoko said with a wave.

Itsumi hastily beckoned her over to the empty seat next to her. But when Kyoko was about to walk forward, Kanae suddenly plopped down in the seat beside Itsumi. At first Itsumi was too surprised to speak. She just stared at Kanae with surprise, who seemed completely unfazed.

Kyoko blinked in confusion.

But before Kyoko could give it another thought, someone had already wrapped a slender hand around her wrist.

Turning around, she found herself staring deeply into Ren's brown eyes as he murmured softly, "Would you like to sit next to me instead?"

Kyoko's heart stopped altogether.


	3. Chapter 3: Up in the Clouds

Hi there! So, this update is a lot faster than I thought, but I don't think it'll be too much of a problem. Thanks again for all the support and I apologize if my story isn't always accurate. Haha, anyway, please read and review!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters.**

* * *

Kyoko couldn't find the voice to answer him as she found herself drowning his eyes. Her heart seemed to have lost all function because the blood that was supposed to be running through her body went cold. She couldn't understand why his question didn't register in her mind. Kyoko had such a hard time believing that he actually asked her to sit next to him. It was just impossible!

But then, seeing his kind face made her feel a tiny glow emanate within her, like a joy of some kind. She couldn't find the will to say no, even if she had wanted to. So with a small, shy smile, Kyoko nodded and said, "I'd love to, Tsuruga-san."

The smile he returned seemed to have gotten ten times brighter since Kyoko found herself stunned from the light. Then very gently, with his hand to still wrapped around her wrist, Ren led Kyoko to the two seats saved in the third row. Kyoko sat next to the window while Ren sat in the seat beside her. As soon as she dropped herself down onto the chair, Kyoko couldn't get over how comfortable it was.

Immediately, she buckled up the seat belt and took a look around the cabin. It looked way too good to be true. There was a large, flat-screen television set at the very front, a mini bar at the end, and all throughout the room, each chair had its own recliner so that it could be pushed farther downwards in order to pull out into a bed. Even more surprising was that each chair even had its own touch-screen television as well.

Kyoko had no idea that flying first class would be so elite. She expected it to be cramped and crowded, but there was so much space that it almost felt like they were just staying in someone's living room. She was absolutely mesmerized.

Ren, on the other hand, wasn't as impressed. In fact, he didn't even pay much attention to the plane at all. He was too busy looking at the awed girl beside him. Ren couldn't believe how lucky he was. To spend a twelve hour flight with Kyoko was more than he could ask for. This would be the longest time he would ever be around her in just one sitting.

He couldn't help but smile as he watched her face shine with excitement at the plane. He knew that it was the first time she would be traveling and was quite pleased with her reaction. Her enthusiasm was somewhat contagious since Ren was starting to feel excited as well.

Ren chuckled silently to himself as he slightly shook his head. _"How you have such a control over me Kyoko, I will never understand."_

However, Ren didn't realize that Kyoko was watching him out of the corner of her eye. She noticed how he had this amused look on his face whenever his eyes trailed to hers. Curious, she fully turned to him and asked, "Is something wrong, Tsuruga-san?"

He shook his head with a smile and replied, "Not in the least, Mogami-san. Why?"

"I don't know," she began with a slight pout. "You seem to be laughing at me."

That made Ren laugh out loud as he put up a hand and said, "No, no, I'm just happy that you're enjoying yourself is all."

"Well, it's hard not to," Kyoko replied with a swivel of her head as she took another look around. "This is amazing."

"This is your first time flying, right Mogami-san?"

She nodded. "I can't wait to see what it feels like to be in the air. How about you, Tsuruga-san? Have you ever flown before?"

"Once or twice when I was younger," Ren replied as he slyly averted his gaze. That wasn't exactly true since he lived with a famous father who constantly traveled around the world, but he didn't want Kyoko to know about that. It would raise unnecessary questions that Ren wasn't ready to answer just yet.

"Where did you go?" she asked curiously.

"Um, well, I went…around," Ren said with difficulty.

"Like where?"

Ren racked his brain. He wanted to keep it simple so he decided with, "Las Vegas."

"Really?" Kyoko exclaimed excitedly. "You went there before? What's it like?"

Ren cleared his throat and replied, "I don't want to ruin it for you, Mogami-san. It should be a surprise."

Kyoko nodded and slammed her fist into the palm her hand. "You're right, Tsuruga-san! It's more thrilling if I'm kept in the dark."

He chuckled. "I guess you can say it like that."

But before Kyoko could reply, a female voice went over the intercom and said in a smooth voice, "Welcome to Continental Airlines, First Class. Before we take off, I would like to notify you of our safety regulations upon this plane. As you can see there are three exits: one at the front, one in the center, and one in the back. Above each seat will be an oxygen mask that will be released when necessary or with a push of a button. Please place the mask securely over your nose and breathe in deeply if such an event occurs. If the plane is ever submerged in water, below each seat will be a life vest. It can be strapped on around the waist. Please keep your seat belts on at all times unless the pilot gives you the signal that it is safe to wander around the cabin. And finally, thank you for choosing Continental Airlines and enjoy your twelve hour flight to Las Vegas."

Then with a soft click, the voice disappeared. Kyoko stared up to the ceiling and murmured, "Wow, she must get tired saying of all that."

Ren laughed. "It's like her lines right?"

"Sure, but reading the same ones over and over again? It must get boring."

Ren smiled as he felt the plane speed up in motion. Instinctively, Kyoko turned her head to the window and watched the plane drive down the runway. Everything seemed to whizz by and she could feel the rumbling of the wheels as it drove across the cement. It was also quite loud too. Kyoko turned around to see Ren leaning towards her to stare out the window as well. In fact, everyone was looking.

Then with a great lurch, Kyoko instantly felt the wheels leave the ground and hover in the air. Even though nothing changed outside the window, she knew that they were no longer planted on firm ground. Suddenly, Kyoko felt as if her stomach was turned inside out as the plane soared up higher and higher into the sky. She looked down outside the window and realized everything was getting smaller and smaller.

Although she could hear the sounds of excitement from everyone else on the plane, Kyoko was anything but awed. In fact, she felt kind of sick. There were times when the plane would hover and it would seem as if they were falling. It almost felt like someone had their hands around her intestines, twisting it this way and that.

The pressure on her ears was building and she found it slightly hard to breathe. Gripping the armrest with tight fingers, Kyoko pried her eyes away from the window and focused on the television set in front of her. Feeling how wide her eyes were and tense she was, Kyoko tried to breathe in deeply, but it was like all the air was sucked out of the cabin.

Suddenly, a soft hand was placed over hers. Kyoko turned to the side and saw Ren's anxious gaze. Oddly enough, even though it seemed like her ears have stopped working, she could clearly hear him ask, "Are you alright, Mogami-san?"

Kyoko tried to reply. She could feel the heavy lump in her throat and tried her best to swallow, but to no avail. Instead, she forced herself to nod as the plane gave another lurch. Kyoko gripped the armrest even harder, turning her face away.

It was obvious that Kyoko was not fine. Ren could see how green she was getting and the terror that was blatantly spelled out in her eyes. Of course, he was fully aware that the beginning of any flight was probably the shakiest. However, given some time, things would get calmer once they were at the right altitude. But seeing the fear in her face, made Ren feel highly uneasy. And when his eyes wandered down to her hand, he could see how violently her arms were shaking.

Ren would have reached out and held her. Or at least whisper something consoling in her ear. But Kyoko wasn't like everyone else. She hated to be treated like a child and he knew better than to do anything like that. Instead, Ren kept his hand on hers and gently rubbed his thumb in small circles, hoping that somehow it would soothe her.

Kyoko could feel her heart throb as she felt his hand on hers. She looked back into his face and realized that Ren wasn't looking at her, but keeping his eyes ahead. Even when she was terrified, Kyoko felt extremely grateful to him. He was trying to give her space, yet at the same time, trying to make her feel better by being there. Kyoko breathed in deeply and decided to focus only on his hand and how soft it felt upon hers. She could feel the circles he drew into her skin and concentrated on his movements.

Very slowly, the lurches of the plane decreased bit by bit until it practically stopped. There was a slight bobbing every now and then, but her ears had popped and she managed to breathe normally again. However, Kyoko was highly pent up. She was expecting for more pseudo-falls and could feel her body remain alert and tense.

"Mogami-san?"

Kyoko turned her head and smiled weakly. "I wasn't expecting that," she replied softly as she looked at his anxious gaze.

Ren smiled back reassuringly. "It gets pretty scary."

"You seemed okay," Kyoko said with a shake of her head, disappointed at how pathetic she must seem in his eyes.

"Not really. I was quite uneasy too," he lied. "I was just too focused on you."

Kyoko sighed heavily. "I'm pathetic."

And right then, the plane made a slight turn which elicited a small whimper from Kyoko. Ren held her hand tighter.

She turned towards him and asked feebly, "How long is this flight?"

"Twelve hours."

Kyoko leaned her head back and closed her eyes with a groan. _"Twelve hours,"_ she thought with a grimace. _"How am I going to survive twelve hours?"_

Ren bit on his lip, trying to think of something that will keep her mind off the flight. As long as she didn't notice that they were in the air, she should be fine. Ren looked around the cabin and realized that everyone else seemed okay. The chatter of conversation was starting to bubble up again and nobody noticed Kyoko's discomfort.

"_Good,"_ he though silently. He didn't want Kyoko to suffer any embarrassment about her fear, even though it was absolutely natural. A fear of flying was nothing to be ashamed of, but she wouldn't think of it that way.

Ren racked his brain for an idea. He just had to keep her preoccupied. At first, he thought about asking her questions, just to get her talking, but maybe that would be too much right now. It might stress her out even more. But suddenly, a plan clicked inside his head.

Reaching into his duffel bag, he quickly pulled out a note pad and a black pen. Kyoko curiously turned her head to the side and saw him unfold the table between them. He met her gaze and smiled.

"Since it's such a long flight, it's going to get boring eventually. So how about we play a game?"

"A game?" Kyoko asked with slight difficulty. Her stomach was starting to feel queasy. "What kind of game?"

"Nothing too busy, just something that will kill time."

Twisting her body around so she faced him, she asked, "What's it called?"

Ren smiled, seeing a flicker of interest in her eyes. "Hangman."

Kyoko raised an eyebrow in confusion. "I've never heard of it."

"It's really simple. You just guess the word I'm thinking of by choosing certain letters."

When Ren could still see the confusion in her eyes, he chuckled gently and said, "It'll be easier to understand once we play."

So flipping open to a blank page, Ren pulled the cap off of his pen and drew what looked like a large seven that had a line drawn underneath it as a base. He raised his head to see Kyoko still immersed in his movements. Smiling, Ren thought about what word he should choose. Then remembering something that he knew Kyoko would appreciate, he nodded and said, "Okay, the subject is desserts. And it consists of two words."

He turned back to the paper and said, "The first word consists of four letters." Ren drew four little lines, each space indicating a letter.

"The second word," he explained as he left a space between the words, "has five letters."

Kyoko nodded slowly. "Okay…"

"So now, all you need to do is guess the letters. If you get it right, I'll write in the letter, if not…well, you'll see."

"Okay," Kyoko said with a tilt of her head. "Then my first letter is…A."

Ren grinned and shook his head. "Nope."

And he drew a little circle hanging from the picture he drew earlier. When he saw Kyoko raise an eyebrow, he explained, "You see, every time you guess the wrong letter, I draw a body part of a man. Since there isn't an A in the any of the words, I drew his head. If you get the next one wrong, I draw his body and if you get the next one wrong, I draw an arm and so on. By the time I draw his head, body, two arms, and two legs, and you still don't know the word, you lose."

Then in a blink of an eye, Kyoko's eyes glowed with understanding. "Oh I get it! Hang-Man!"

Ren nodded. "Exactly. Now remember, the subject is desserts."

Kyoko's face suddenly screwed up in concentration as she looked at the blank spaces. "Desserts…desserts…" she mumbled. Then with a snap of her fingers, she said, "E?"

Ren smiled and nodded. "Yes, there are two E's."

And he wrote an E in the last space of the first word and in the second space of the second word. Kyoko smiled widely with a look of triumph.

"How about…N?"

"Right again," Ren replied as he wrote an N in the third space of the first word.

Unfortunately for Kyoko, the next few rounds didn't go in her favor. She missed almost every letter (guessing S, T, R, I, and O) and eventually, Ren had already drawn in a body, two arms, and one leg, and this was all Kyoko was able to fill in:

_ I N E / _ E _ _ _

He chuckled as he saw the frustration in her eyes. "One more," he teased.

Kyoko growled. "Desserts…desserts…"

But nothing was coming to her. She had one letter left and if she missed it, this was all she could work with. Kyoko racked her brains. What dessert could he be spelling? She went through the typical, such as ice cream, cake, pudding. But of course, none of those words fit. Kyoko just hoped that she would say one and miraculously, it would have the same number of letters in the right spot.

Ren smiled evilly as he saw her eye twitch. "Give up?"

"No way!" she exclaimed heatedly. "Let's see, pie, cookies, flan, candy, chocolate…"

And slowly, her voice started to rise in exasperation.

"…SORBET! CHEESECAKE! FONDANT! MOCHI! CRÈME BRULEE! CREPES! PASTRIES! JELL-O! JELLY—!"

Kyoko froze. Her eyes widened as she looked at the last word. She couldn't believe it. _"It fit. Jelly actually fit. But what's the first word?"_

Kyoko bit on her bottom lip. _"What has I-N-E in it?"_

Suddenly, it hit her, like a full on collision. Kyoko couldn't believe that she actually forgot all about it! She stared at the first word and realized that only one letter could fit there. And of course, he would have chosen this dessert since…well, wasn't she the one that gave it to him?

Ren laughed as he saw the answer click in her eyes. "Yes, Mogami-san?"

She looked up with a beaming face. "W?"

Ren nodded and wrote the letter W in the first space of the first word.

Kyoko giggled triumphantly and yelled, "WINE JELLY!"

Then without further ado, Ren filled in the other letters and chuckled. "That's right. You got it."

"I win!" Kyoko exclaimed happily. "Yes!"

Ren smiled widely as he saw the twinkle in her eyes. Even though it was such a simple game, he was glad that she took so much joy from it. Knowing that she was the competitive sort, Ren figured that challenging her would be best to keep her busy and he wasn't wrong at all. The color in her face had returned and she didn't even seem to realize that they were still high in the air. She was too focused on the piece of paper in front of her.

"Okay," Ren said as he handed the pen over to her. "Your turn."

"Me?"

He nodded. "Think of any word, draw out the spaces, and tell me the subject."

Kyoko smiled and racked her brain. She wanted to think of a good word that would be difficult, but also relevant. Choosing a random one wouldn't be as fun. Kyoko turned her eyes to the ceiling and thought.

"_Hmm…a word…a word…something that relates to Tsuruga-san…how about…actor? Too easy…how about…tall? So lame…why not…"_

Kyoko slyly looked back at him and saw him patiently waiting for her, twiddling his thumbs in his lap and looking at all the other passengers. And without realizing it, the word that popped into her mind was ATTRACTIVE.

She immediately shook her head from side to side as she chanted silently, _"STUPID! STUPID! STUPID!"_

Ren noticed her behavior and narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Anything wrong, Mogami-san?"

"Nothing!" she replied quickly. "Just thinking!

Ren chuckled with a shake of his head as he gave her more time. Kyoko breathed in deeply. She couldn't believe how ridiculous she was. How could she possibly put attractive? It would make things so awkward! But when Kyoko stole another quick peek at him, she realized the word was actually quite relatable. After all, he was voted the most handsome man in Japan so it fit for him.

Kyoko sighed quietly. But still, that would be weird.

"_So what's another word that has the same meaning, but not as awkward?"_

She tapped the pen on her chin for a few seconds before it suddenly came to her.

Excited, Kyoko brought the pen down and drew the same picture that Ren drew before and wrote out the spaces. Ren turned his attention back to her and realized that she chose only one word with six letters.

"So what's the subject?" he asked.

Kyoko smiled and said, "A person."

"Person?"

She nodded as she saw puzzlement flicker in his eyes.

"Okay, first I'll guess…A?"

Kyoko grinned and shook her head. "Sorry Tsuruga-san…"

Drawing a head, she thought gleefully to herself, _"But there's no A in Prince."_

_

* * *

_

"Hey! Hey! Do you see that?"

"Oh my gosh! That's so sweet!"

"Can you believe it?"

"If you guys talk any louder, they're both going to wake up."

"But how can you resist? Just look at how comfortable they are."

"And how cute they look!"

"_Should _we wake them up?"

"ARE YOU KIDDING?"

"SHHHH!"

"Sheesh you guys, keep it down!"

"President Lory, take a look!"

"Oh my, looks like our Ren finally has his walls down."

"Aww, Ren-chan looks so cute. Doesn't he, Darling?"

"What about Kyoko? She's so innocent."

"Kyoko innocent? Yeah right."

"Ruriko, stop with the resentment."

"Yeah, another thing you need to learn to stop doing."

"Shut up, Kotonami!"

"BE QUIET! You're going to disturb them!"

"Hey, how about we take a picture?"

"Yeah!"

"Do it!"

"Everyone, that's really quite intruding!"

"Oh come on, Director Ogata. It's only one shot."

"Does anyone have a camera?"

"I do!"

"Good going, Yashiro! Hurry up and take one."

"But be quiet!"

"Like a ninja!"

Slowly and slyly, Yashiro quietly sneaked up upon the two and placed the camera in front of his eyes. With one silent click, he captured the picture without disturbing them in the slightest. Yashiro quickly made his way back with a grin as everyone swarmed around him.

"Let me see! Let me see!"

And with one huge smile on everyone's face, they stared at a picture they will never forget: Ren and Kyoko comfortably sleeping together, with her face leaning upon his shoulder and his head gently placed upon hers.


	4. Chapter 4: Bumpy Start

Hi! So here is part four of my story and I hope you all enjoy it. As for the previous chapter, I'm so glad you all liked it. At first, I thought the hangman game was kinda weird, but it registered well with everyone so I'm really happy. Anyway, thanks for the support and please review!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip or any of its characters.**

* * *

"_Alright, now that we are all checked into our rooms, I think we should meet each other down by the pool in about an hour, just for a little bonding time. But before we do, I realize that it was a pretty long flight, so I'm guessing that most of you want to get some rest before we have fun. Then afterwards, everyone is more than welcome to go their separate ways. What do you guys say?" President Lory said with a beaming smile as he stood in the main lobby of the Aria Hotel._

"_Sure!"_ _everyone exclaimed in unison._

And so, after his little speech, Itsumi, Ruriko, Kanae, and Kyoko broke off from the group and took the elevator to the highest floor where they were going to stay for the next week. The President booked a large two bedroom penthouse for each pair of girls. Itsumi was to stay with Ruriko, while Kanae and Kyoko were partnered with each other. The men, on the other hand, stayed on the floor just below and were also partnered off in pairs.

As the four waited patiently inside the elevator to their suite, Ruriko gave a loud yawn and stretched her arms.

"I've never felt so stiff in my life," she said with a slight groan as she brought her arms upward. "I can't wait to hit that all-access spa."

Itsumi nodded as the elevator let out a small ding as it reached the 45th floor. "I'm sure we're all pretty tired. A good hour of relaxation would do wonders."

Ruriko smirked. "Well, maybe not all of us. I'm sure at least one of us is well-rested."

She turned to Kyoko who was coincidentally enough facing the other direction, staring at the buttons of the different floors.

"You're so lucky, Kyoko," Ruriko continued with an evil smile as she ran a hand through her hair. "It must have been such a good sleep. After all, you looked oh-so-comfortable."

But before Kyoko could say anything, the elevator doors slid open, letting them off on the 61st floor. They all stepped out and made a left, walking down a golden corridor with red carpets. Kyoko kept her eyes downward, refusing to meet any of the girls' gazes.

"You really do have some nerve, Kyoko," Ruriko replied with a grin as she walked behind her. "I don't think I would ever have the courage to do what you did."

Itsumi laughed nervously. "Come on, Ruriko. Don't say it like that."

"What ever do you mean, Itsumi?" she asked with mock innocence as she raised a delicate eyebrow. "All I'm saying is that Kyoko definitely has no fear. It's not necessarily a bad thing though."

The soft thuds of their footsteps echoed down the deserted hallway as the four girls continued their walk. Kanae walked beside Kyoko, peeking at her friend out of the corner of her eye and hoping that Kyoko wasn't taking Ruriko's words to heart.

"I personally thought it was cute," Itsumi said as she looked at the door to her left. It seemed that they hadn't reached their room yet.

"Cute?" Ruriko repeated with a twisted grin. "Sure I guess so, or maybe it was a way of getting attention."

Then suddenly Ruriko clapped her hands together in applause and laughed. "Well, well, Kyoko, you sure know how to make it in this industry don't you? Are you trying to grab all the attention you can get?"

Nobody said anything as they finally reached their room. The one on the right belonged to Kyoko and Kanae and the one on the left was assigned to Itsumi and Ruriko.

"Here we are: 61143," Kanae said as she grabbed the card-key from her bag.

"And we're right across," Itsumi said with a smile as she inserted her card into the door lock. With a slight whirring sound, the button on top of the door glowed green and a loud click signaled that they were allowed to enter.

Just as Kyoko stepped foot inside the doorway of her room, Ruriko suddenly turned and said, "You know, it's too bad Kyoko that President Lory said only girls can room with girls. I'm sure you would have chosen someone else. Sleeping at night would probably be easier for you, wouldn't it? But of course, asking Tsur—"

"Give it a rest!" Kanae snarled as she swung herself around to glare at a surprised Ruriko. "Haven't you noticed that no one is responding to you? That's our way of saying to you to shut your damn mouth."

Horribly offended, Ruriko stomped her foot and dramatically swept inside her room, slamming the door shut. Unfortunately, the weight was so heavy that she only managed to trip over her own feet as the door slowly closed by itself.

Itsumi sighed with a shake of her head.

"Sorry about that Momose-san," Kanae replied with a sniff. "I couldn't take it anymore. She was driving me insane."

She smiled wearily. "No, I get it," Itsumi said as she stared at Kyoko's back. Throughout this whole entire time, Kyoko hadn't said a word nor did she even look at any of them.

Kanae noticed the awkward silence immediately and cleared her throat. "I guess we should go get ready."

Itsumi nodded understandingly, but before she left, she quietly walked over to Kyoko and patted her on the shoulder. "Don't let Ruriko get to you," Itsumi said warmly as Kyoko raised her head. "Everyone else thought it was sweet. You don't have to worry."

Then with one last smile at Kanae, Itsumi left the two friends alone. Kyoko still hadn't moved and she only had one foot through the door. Kanae sighed and nudged her in the back. "You planning on going in or staying out here all day?"

Kyoko gave a slight nod and fully walked through as Kanae shut the door closed.

When Kanae finally looked at the place before her, her jaw dropped to the floor. The suite was AMAZING. They had their own kitchen, living room, game room, bathroom, two bedrooms, and even a balcony that looked out to the city. There was a large flat screen television in the family room and a mini bar in the spotless kitchen. Each bedroom had a queen sized bed and had its own walk-in closet and bathroom that consisted of both a shower and a white, porcelain tub.

The whole entire penthouse was spotless with marble counters, oak floors, glass doors, and white fluffy carpet that made you feel as if you were walking on clouds. The view from the balcony and every window in the place was absolutely breathtaking. They looked out to the entire city and even to the large, dusty mountains surrounding the desert.

Kanae shook her head in disbelief. "If we ever go on vacation, this is the kind of place I want to stay in."

Kyoko nodded, keeping her eyes on the floor.

"Mo, you're not even looking."

"It's nice," she murmured quietly as she walked forward and stood in the middle of the living room.

Kanae narrowed her eyes in frustration. _"This has gone on long enough,"_ she thought angrily as she grabbed Kyoko's wrist and dragged her into one of the bedrooms. Thankfully enough, her luggage was already there, sitting neatly on top of her fluffy white bed. Kanae then pushed Kyoko on top of it, watching her friend bounce on the bed slightly before raising her head with hollow eyes.

"You're ruining my vacation," Kanae said darkly as she crossed her arms. "And I don't appreciate it."

"Sorry," Kyoko mumbled.

Kanae scoffed. "I don't want your apology. I want you to snap out of it."

Kyoko sighed heavily. "I can't," she replied quietly.

"Mo! Ruriko's an idiot! We all know that! Even you know that! Why are you listening to her?"

"Because she's right," Kyoko said as she placed her head into her hands. "That was the worst mistake I have ever made in my life."

When Kyoko finally woke up on the plane, her eyes were still fuzzy and her mind was slightly groggy, but her body felt oddly well-rested. In fact, she had never felt so comfortable. She even remembered thinking, _"This pillow smells nice."_

But when she fully opened her eyes, Kyoko suddenly jumped at least twenty feet into the air when she realized exactly _who_ she was sleeping on! He was awake of course, with a small smile upon his face as he politely greeted her. And although he acted normally, as if nothing serious had happened, Kyoko knew immediately that something was wrong. Everyone was smiling at her with these large, perky grins and she knew for a fact that they all saw what she had done.

And once they finally got off the plane, Kyoko quickly made a run for it, not even bothering to look back. Thankfully, there were two black limos that picked them all up to take them to the hotel and Kyoko was able to avoid him for an entire car ride. But that luck didn't last long because everyone in the limo kept talking about it! Most of them reacted like Itsumi, saying that it was adorable and sweet, but Kyoko thought it was anything but! She was absolutely horrified.

Kanae growled as Kyoko let out a wail. "I'M SO STUPID!"

"You're completely blowing this out of proportion."

"Moko-san!" Kyoko cried as she raised her head with puffy eyes. "I slept on him! ON HIM!"

"SO?" Kanae asked back loudly. "What's the big deal?"

"The big deal is that he is my mentor and I treated him like my own personal bed!"

Kanae shook her head. "You took a nap and your head coincidentally fell upon his shoulder. That's all. Stop being such a drama queen."

"Am not," Kyoko mumbled pathetically.

"Are too."

"Nu-huh."

Kanae suddenly laughed in amusement and plopped herself beside her. "Yes, you are."

Kyoko turned the corners of her mouth upwards and shook her head. "You're mean," she whined.

"And you're stupid," Kanae replied simply. "Feel better now?"

Kyoko nodded. "I guess."

"Good, now hurry up and get ready. We're going down to the pool."

Kyoko shrieked like a banshee. "ARE YOU CRAZY? HE'LL BE THERE!"

"So what?"

"How am I supposed to face him after what I did?" Kyoko exclaimed in exasperation as she stood up and began to pace back and forth.

"Like normal," Kanae replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Kyoko shook her head vigorously. "No, you go. I'm staying here."

Kanae glared. "You do realize that you're going to make it worse if you do that right?"

She stopped right in her tracks. "What do you mean?" she murmured.

"Well, if you make a big deal out of it, it becomes a big deal. If you recall, he didn't say a word about it after it happened, now did he? He brushed it off as if it was nothing. And if you come along and turn it into this huge issue by not coming down to the pool and avoiding him, he's going to think that you thought of it as something more."

Kyoko brought a hand to her mouth in terror.

"Therefore," Kanae continued as she stood up in a huff. "You have to act like nothing's wrong."

She sighed. Kyoko knew that her friend was right. If she didn't go down there, everyone would know that she was bothered by what had happened and they would turn it into an even bigger issue. And Kyoko didn't need more people talking about it. Besides, she would also be causing problems for him as well. He didn't seem to be fazed about it, so why should she?

"_Because you slept on him,"_ her subconscious retorted, but Kyoko ignored her.

She knew that the best way to handle it was to act as if nothing was wrong, even though she felt as if her whole life had turned upside down.

"You're right," Kyoko mumbled as she leaned against the marble dresser in her bedroom. "I have to go."

"Exactly," Kanae replied in a satisfied voice. "I'm glad you finally woke up."

Kyoko smiled sheepishly.

But just when Kanae was going to walk out, Kyoko suddenly said, "There's a small problem though."

She turned around in exasperation. "What now?"

"I don't have a bathing suit."

Kanae smirked. "Well lucky for you, I brought an extra pair."

"Really?" Kyoko asked with bright eyes.

Kanae nodded. "Although," she began with a suspicious tone. "It's not exactly a bathing suit you would pick out."

Kyoko's eyes widened. "W-w-w-what do you mean?" she stuttered.

Kanae grinned widely. "Oh, you'll see."

* * *

"Ren, you do realize that there are people all around us right?" Yashiro asked with his eyes closed as he linked his fingers together and brought them behind his head. "You're going to scare them away with that murderous look of yours."

Ren growled as he leaned back against the chair, watching people play around in the pool and sun bathe on the grassy floor. The rest of the group was scattered all around and they didn't pay much attention to Ren and Yashiro, who were lying down on the lounge chairs. In fact, Ren didn't even seem to notice how every person that passed him gave him these awed, amazed expressions as they stared at his face and broad, bare chest.

"Give me the picture, Yashiro," he demanded with a glint in his eye.

"Nope," he replied with an easy smile as he turned his head to the side to look up at an angered Ren. "I shall not."

"You know, you won't be this confident when we go back up to our rooms later."

Yashiro grinned as he got up in a sitting position again. "You're not going to hurt me."

Ren glared malevolently. "What makes you say that?" he asked in a sinister voice.

"Because, you know just as well as I do that I can't delete the picture, even if we wanted to."

Ren swung his legs to the side of the chair, facing Yashiro. His eyes were filled with confusion as Yashiro chuckled and said, "You saw how Kyoko reacted right?"

He sighed darkly. "How could I forget? She completely ignored me as soon as she woke up."

Suddenly, Ren ran a frustrated hand through his silky brown hair as he said in a louder voice, "That's why you need to delete the picture, Yashiro! If she sees it, she's going to think—"

"—that you are ashamed of such a picture and want to delete all evidence that it ever happened," Yashiro replied smoothly as Ren froze in surprise.

"Ren," he began in a gentle tone. "Think about it. She was absolutely mortified when she realized what she did and she will feel even worse when she finds out you deleted the picture that captured it because obviously she's going to think that you hated what happened too. If you deleted it, it's like you're saying that you're ashamed and that you never want it to happen again."

Yashiro grinned as he saw Ren look down at his feet in defeat.

"And we both know that that is the exact _opposite_ of what you're wishing for," Yashiro finished triumphantly.

Ren sighed heavily. "So what you're saying is that we have to keep the picture for her sake?"

Yashiro nodded.

"How about we delete it without telling her?"

"Aren't you the one who hates liars, you hypocrite?" Yashiro asked with a mocking sneer. "Besides, you and I both know that you only wanted to delete it to keep her mind at ease. If she told you she liked it, would you still want to get rid of it?"

He sighed. "I guess not. Did she see it yet?"

Yashiro turned his head away, oddly interested in the napkin on the floor. "Sure, you can say that."

Ren growled under his breath, feeling his resolve dying. Yashiro was right on all counts. Ren knew that he was thinking irrationally and right now, if he made any wrong moves, it would be detrimental to his and Kyoko's already shaky relationship.

Knowing that Kyoko was upset at what she had done, Ren had to pretend that it meant nothing to him, even though it actually meant the world. _"Although,"_ he thought silently. _"I hope her horror has nothing to do with the fact that it was me she leaned her head on, instead of someone else."_

Remembering the smell of her smooth hair, the warmth of her cheek, the soft sounds of her every breath, Ren could feel his heart throb as he clenched his hands together at his sides. In truth, he didn't want Yashiro to delete the picture. He actually wanted it for himself, proof to him that there was really a small possibility that she could see him as more than just a mentor. And that's all he wanted for now.

Yashiro stretched and looked up at the sky. "Now that we have that settled, why not try to relax, Ren? It is your vacation."

Ren chuckled. "I guess you're right."

And in one fluid motion, Ren stood up from his chair and stretched. Everyone in the area immediately turned their heads around to look at him, the girls with the same googly-eyes and the guys with a look of pure admiration and just a splash of jealousy. Ren was just about to lower himself into the icy pool when the doors of the hotel suddenly pushed opened.

At first, he spotted Kanae, walking in with a black halter, two-piece bathing suit. Her hair was held up in a neat pony tail and she had a fluffy white towel draped over her arm. But when Ren tried to look for the girl he was actually waiting for, he didn't see her at all, just a large group of people following Kanae. Narrowing his eyes, Ren scanned the area and realized she wasn't around at all.

"Ren," Yashiro called in a strained voice.

"What?"

"Do you see what I see?"

Ren turned his head around to see his wide-eyed friend, surprisingly in a sitting position. "What are you talking about?"

Yashiro pointed back into Kanae's direction with his mouth gaping open.

"Kotonami-san?" Ren asked curiously. "Yeah, I saw her, but where's—?"

"No, Ren," Yashiro replied in a shaky voice. "Look to her left."

And just as Ren turned his attention back, his whole body tensed up as he stared into her face. No wonder he couldn't see her because she was surrounded by an entire group of men, drooling like maniacs. She stepped out with a blushing face and slowly met his lustful gaze. Kyoko smiled shyly as she softly murmured his name.

But Ren couldn't register anything in his mind, not a single thing could go through…because all he could see was his sweet, innocent Kyoko, dressed in an-all-out white bikini.


	5. Chapter 5: Enemies and Allies

Hey there! So here's part 5 of my story and I hope you all enjoy reading it. Hopefully, you don't think the characters are OOC...I wanted to try something a little different. hehe, anyway, thanks for all the support and please read and review!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters.**

* * *

The first thing that ran through Ren's mind was that she was absolutely breathtaking. Although the discomfort was clear in her eyes, nobody could deny the fact that the bathing suit seemed to have been made just for her. Every curve on her body was accentuated, making her look more and more like a dream that was too good to be true. Ren knew that his face said it all, but he couldn't find the strength to compose himself. She was looking right at him with a smile that nearly tore him apart.

But suddenly, like a loud, thunderous wake-up call, Ren's body tensed up as he saw a man reach out and grab her hand. Kyoko twisted her head around with confusion and met the gaze of a young, blonde male, wearing a pair of Hawaiian swim shorts and a white, sleeveless tee. His two friends, who were practically wearing the same getup, were also standing beside him with the same, twisted grin. One was completely bald and muscular while the other had jet black hair that seemed to be slicked down with car oil.

"Hey there," the blonde said with a smile that flashed his white teeth. "You look lost."

"No," Kyoko replied with a shake of her head, feeling his fingers dig deeper into her wrist. "I'm not."

"You sure?" he asked as he pulled Kyoko's tense body close to his. "Because I can help you find your way."

Kyoko's eyes hardened. She hated men like these. They absolutely disgusted her. So with one fluid motion, she quickly tugged her arm away, watching their eyes widen at her ferocity. "Don't touch me."

At first, the three guys were too stunned to do anything. They just stared back into her fiery eyes in absolute disbelief, but shaking their head with an obnoxious laugh and taking a step forward, the black haired male replied, "Look at this, boys; we got ourselves a fighter."

And just as they reached out for her again, another slender hand smacked them away. Kyoko turned around and smiled as she met Kanae's irritated gaze.

"Who the hell are you guys?" she asked coldly as she stood beside Kyoko.

"Well, well, well!" the bald male exclaimed. "And here's another one. It must be our lucky day."

Kanae chuckled darkly. "Not that lucky, dumbass."

And in an instant, their playful attitudes fell.

"Don't joke around with us little girl," the bald one said in quiet tones as he took a step forward. "We just might hurt you."

"Little girl?" Kanae repeated as a vein throbbed at her temple.

"Unless you want to get the same treatment like your friend here," the blond male said as he made another grab at Kyoko.

Seeing his move immediately, Kyoko instinctively jumped back. But as soon as her foot met the floor, Kyoko seemed to have slammed right up against a wall because she stumbled and was just about to fall when two arms reached out and gripped her arms from behind. She twisted her head around and felt her knees give out as she stared back into two flaming eyes.

Ren was furious. The gleam in his eye was unlike anything she had ever seen. They weren't cold like Kanae's, but a smoldering fire seemed to burn intensely as he stared at the men before him. Kanae froze as well; in fact, nobody moved an inch except for Yashiro who had taken a step around Ren and placed himself in front of Kanae.

"Can we help you?" Ren asked in a silky voice. From the way he was speaking, anyone would have thought these guys were his friends, but just one look at Ren's murderous face was more than enough for them to know that he wanted nothing more than to tear their throats out.

"And who are you?" the one with the black hair asked with a nod of the head, although the fear could be heard in his shaky voice.

"Their friend," he replied smoothly.

"Well, _friend_," the blonde man answered in a mocking tone. "Why not let your gal here fend for herself? We're just having a little fun."

In an instant, the whole atmosphere changed. If the weather was to match Ren's mood, it would have reflected a catastrophic hurricane that had the capability of obliterating everything in its path. Because in very slow movements, he gently pushed Kyoko behind his back and stepped forward. Yashiro instinctively took a step back, forcing Kanae to do the same as she watched the scene over his shoulder.

The three men froze, looking up at his towering figure with panic blatantly spelled out in their eyes. And once they were all face to face, the contours of Ren's face changed to an alarming degree.

"Fun's over," he whispered menacingly.

And in a flash, all three of the guys jumped back and ran for it. However, before they got to the door, the blond one turned around and stared directly at Kyoko. But he wasn't able to say a single word since one of his friends grabbed him by the arm and pulled him away just as the door swung shut.

Kyoko looked at Ren's back and saw that his shoulders were slightly shaking. He was still angry, but when she looked down at his arms, it seemed as if nothing was wrong. Hesitant and somewhat fearful, Kyoko stepped forward and said quietly, "Tsuruga-san?"

He raised his head and turned around. The dark look in his eyes was still there, but he seemed to have calmed down just a bit. Ren forced a small smile. "Are you alright, Mogami-san?"

Kyoko nodded tentatively as Yashiro and Kanae stepped beside her.

"Scumbags," Kanae muttered under her breath.

Yashiro chuckled as he pushed his spectacles further up his nose. "You're quite fearless, aren't you Kotonami-san?"

She scoffed as she replied, "Men like those are nothing but cowards. Besides, there wasn't anything to be afraid of."

Yashiro nodded with a smile. "Well, thanks to Ren here, I think we can all—"

He stopped as he stared at the scene before him. Ren had fully turned around and he was standing right in front of Kyoko, with a soft smile upon his face. She helplessly looked back into his warm eyes as a blush began to color her cheeks. And although they were standing a good distance apart, neither of them broke eye contact. It was like they saw no one else at all.

Yashiro knew instantly that they were both locked in their own world. They didn't say a word to each other, but the look on their faces said it all. Smiling widely to himself, Yashiro was going to coincidentally go get himself a drink when suddenly Kanae called his name.

He turned around.

"Do you mind helping me out a little bit?" she asked with a tempting smile as she held up a bottle of sunscreen.

Yashiro froze.

* * *

"On y-y-your sh-h-houlders?" he asked nervously as he stared at Kanae's back with wide eyes. She had dragged him off to the other side of the pool and sat herself down on one of the lounge chairs while Yashiro stood behind her.

Kanae nodded. "And my back too, if you don't mind."

Yashiro gulped. With shaky hands he squirted some lotion onto his palms and slowly rubbed the solution onto her bare shoulders. Kanae closed her eyes.

"Like that?" he asked in a slightly higher voice.

"Like that," Kanae repeated with a sigh.

And after just a few minutes, Yashiro surprisingly found himself feeling more relaxed. Although he was highly aware of where his hands were, he realized that his nervousness was gone. Feeling vaguely more courageous, Yashiro moved his hands down her back and began to lather more sunscreen when she suddenly said, "I know what you're trying to do."

And like an electric shock, Yashiro stepped back and quickly replied, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make this uncomfortable! I thought you wanted the back as well and I—!"

Kanae turned around and laughed. "Not that, Yashiro-san. I was talking about something else."

He raised an eyebrow, looking into her amused eyes. "You were?" he asked.

She nodded and motioned her head to indicate that she wanted him to continue with the sunscreen. Understanding immediately, Yashiro placed his hands upon her back once again and made large circular motions.

"I didn't want to say this in front of the other two, but I just want to let you know that I'm in."

"In what?" Yashiro asked as he brought his eyes down to his hands. He realized how fast his heart started to beat whenever he looked at her face and decided to avert his gaze before he had a heart attack.

"You're trying to get them together, aren't you?" she replied with a smirk that he couldn't see.

Yashiro faltered. "That obvious?"

Kanae nodded and said, "I think everyone knows."

"Besides Kyoko," he added quietly.

"Besides Kyoko," Kanae repeated with a smile.

"So you want in?" Yashiro asked as he brought his hands back up to her shoulder. The sunscreen was evenly spread all over her body by now, causing her skin to look a tad bit shinier than before.

Kanae moved her head up and down. "I'd like to help."

Yashiro stepped around her and sat in the seat across from her, seeing the seriousness in her eyes even though she had a small smile upon her lips. "Why?"

"Let's just say, Kyoko's too clueless to do anything herself."

Yashiro laughed. "I can say the same thing about Ren."

But with furrowed eyebrows, he shook his head and lowered his voice as he asked, "I'm curious though. You're her best friend so I assume that you know. Therefore, I have to ask…_does_ Kyoko love him?"

Kanae didn't reply immediately. She turned her head to the side, seeing the other two sitting next to each other and talking with a glow upon their faces. Kyoko sat criss-crossed on the chair across from him while Ren had his feet firmly planted on the floor. They seemed to be having a great time with each other, not even realizing that Kanae was watching.

"I think that she feels something for him," Kanae replied slowly as Yashiro was just about to open his mouth to ask her a question. "And I want to find out exactly what that feeling is."

Then suddenly she turned her head back and smiled. "Now let me ask you. Does he love her?"

Yashiro shook his head with a grin. "I think even you know the answer to that, Kotonami-san. Ren isn't the best when it comes to hidden feelings, especially around her."

Kanae nodded in agreement. "Which leads me to the next question: how do you plan on getting them together?"

"I just want him to spend more time with her is all," Yashiro replied simply. "Give him an opportunity to really show her how he feels."

He smiled widely when he saw her avert her gaze. "Still want to help?"

Kanae laughed and answered with ease, "Count me in."

Then without another word, the two stood up and shook hands as if they were now joined together in an alliance. And as soon as their hands intertwined, Yashiro could feel his heart stop altogether, but Kanae seemed completely unfazed. She easily smiled back at him and released her grasp.

But just as she was about to walk away, she suddenly turned around with amused eyes. "By the way," Kanae began in a silky tone. "Thanks for that."

"I'm glad to help," Yashiro replied with a shake of his head. "Besides, it's only a little sunscreen and I—"

"Not that," Kanae interrupted with a smile. "For protecting me earlier."

Yashiro froze as she laughed softly.

"Did you really think I didn't notice?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

Yashiro shook his head with wide eyes. "I really didn't do any—"

Kanae shook her head with a smile. "You're too modest, Yashiro-san. Besides, because of you, I wasn't afraid at all."

And with one small wink, Kanae walked back to the other two, leaving Yashiro speechless.

* * *

Kyoko was feeling so relieved by now. She smiled at Ren as she watched him turn his head around to see Kanae and Yashiro approach them. Their conversation earlier had definitely put her mind at ease because after apologizing for the fiasco on the plane, Ren shook his head and told her that there was nothing to forgive.

"_In fact," he said with a soft laugh, "it was the best flight I ever had."_

And feeling as if her whole entire body glowed with joy, Kyoko blushed profusely and shyly averted her gaze, refusing to stare at his face for more than what common courtesy allowed. Once Kanae and Yashiro returned, Ren raised a suspicious eyebrow and asked, "What were you guys up to?"

Yashiro smiled and shook head. "Just talking."

"And we were also thinking—if you guys are up to it of course—to do a little sightseeing," Kanae answered as she turned her eyes to Kyoko.

She nodded with bright eyes. "Sure! It'll be fun. What about you, Tsuruga-san?"

Ren looked out of the corner of his eye at Yashiro and thought he saw something suspicious upon his face. And when Yashiro suddenly turned away from his calculating gaze, that all but reinforced his belief that his manager was absolutely up to no good.

But seeing Kyoko's eager face made Ren decide to overlook it. After all, this was a chance he had been waiting for, an opportunity to spend some quality time with Kyoko. Not only that, but it would also keep his mind at ease knowing that he would be around her at all times. If those men decided to come back for her, at least he would be there as protection and considering how she looked now Kyoko needed every bit of it.

"I'm up for it," he replied with determination.

Kyoko smiled widely.

"Then let's go," Yashiro exclaimed with joy as he led the other three towards the hotel. And after saying goodbye to the rest of the group and President Lory, who was swimming around in the pool, they all made their way into the lobby and were beginning to walk towards the elevators when Yashiro suddenly stopped in his tracks.

"Ren! Hold on for a second."

Ren turned around curiously. "What's wrong?"

"Want to give it a go?" he asked as he motioned his head towards the slot machine beside him.

He grimaced. "You know I'm not the gambling type, Yashiro."

"Oh come on, it'll be fun! Right, girls?" he asked with a smile as he turned back towards them with a beaming face.

Kanae shrugged nonchalantly while Kyoko nodded.

"You should try, Tsuruga-san," she said innocently.

Ren sighed heavily. "I only have five dollars on me though."

"That's enough!" Yashiro replied as he took a step forward to the machine. "Just place it in here and give it a whirl. You might even win the jackpot."

They all turned their heads upward to see the largest amount of money they could possibly win: $50,758.93. Even though Ren didn't like to gamble, he had to admit that that was quite a hefty amount of money.

"And it can even set the mood of our trip," Yashiro continued cheerfully.

Ren narrowed his eyes as he turned his head back towards his friend. "So if I lose, we have a bad vacation?"

Yashiro smiled widely as Kyoko and Kanae laughed out loud. "Then you better hope you don't lose."

Ren shook his head in defeat. With a challenge like that, how could he possibly refuse? Plopping himself down onto the seat, he inserted his five dollar bill into the slot machine and pulled the large, black lever. He stood up from the chair and watched it from the background, hoping that he would win at least _something_.

"How do you win?" Kyoko asked, keeping her eyes on the machine.

"You need five sevens to win the jackpot," Ren answered simply as one seven suddenly appeared in the first square.

"You got one, Tsuruga-san!" Kyoko cried happily.

"That's just beginner's luck, Mogam-san. Don't let it fool you."

"Oh, I don't think so Ren, because there's another," Yashiro said with a clap as the second seven appeared. "Looking good!"

Ren shook his head.

"Come on you guys. I'm sure we all know that winning these is highly…un…likely…"

Ren's voice trailed away as his body froze up like a statute. Every bit of teasing that could be heard from his voice earlier had completely disappeared as everyone eyes widened at the next picture that flashed on screen: _a seven._

"No way…" Kanae murmured as she stumbled forward, feeling her heart beat in overtime.

Nobody else uttered a single sound as their eyes were glued to the fourth square. And just like before, another seven had appeared.

"Tsuruga-san!" Kyoko exclaimed in shock. "I think you're going to—!"

And before the last word could escape her lips, the fifth and final seven was revealed, releasing a siren that blared like crazy. The sound of bells and whirring erupted from the machine as it flashed with bright, neon lights, indicating that the jackpot had been won.

Everyone in the lobby turned around to see the ruckus and ran over to the machine, clapping Ren on the shoulder and breaking out into applause.

But Ren didn't hear any of it. He couldn't see or notice anybody because all he could remember was feeling Kyoko's warm arms wrapped around his neck as she jumped up and down and yelled, "YOU WON!"


	6. Chapter 6: An End to Our Fun

Greetings everyone! So, this chapter is probably the longest out of all the others because I really wanted to set up the scene. You'll see what I mean at the end. Anyway, thanks again for all the massive support. You guys are the best! Please read and review.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters.**

* * *

It was just too good to be true. Ren would have never thought in a million years that something like this would have happened. He was now the sole winner of nearly sixty grand and to top it all off, this meant that their vacation would not only be good, but might also be the best one of their life.

So after the loud tumultuous screams of the crowd, Ren was able to receive the money from the owner of the Aria hotel himself. Of course, he only won about fifteen grand in the end since all the taxes and fees had to be subtracted, but that didn't matter to him at all. Because no matter how much he won, there was something that didn't change.

Kyoko's awed expression as she watched Ren shake hands with everyone and the smile upon her face were more than enough. Ren could still remember the warmth of her arms around his body and how happy she seemed to be as she looked into his shocked eyes. It was perfect. The money wasn't important to Ren at all; it was her reaction that he treasured the most.

Of course, having all that money was a nothing short of a great positive. As soon as Ren received his earnings, he treated everyone to a fancy lunch at a five star restaurant. And throughout the entire time they ate, Kyoko couldn't keep her eyes off of him. The way she retold the story and how her eyes seemed to get brighter with every word that she spoke made Ren feel incredibly significant when at other times he thought she didn't notice him at all.

And while running off the high of such an amazing win, they all spent the next few days with each other, with Ren treating them to everything and anything. He didn't let anyone spend a dime. And together, they seemed to have visited every place known to man in Las Vegas with the blisters to prove it. Stopping by every hotel and hitting every tourist attraction was exactly the kind of fun they needed.

On the first day, they decided to hit the Fashion Mall, a large building with numerous of boutiques that would have driven any girl insane. Kanae was the most excited, jumping around to each store and coming out with a large grin on her face as she held up another new shopping bag in her hands. Ren and Yashiro gladly accompanied the girls around the stores, taking a certain pleasure in watching them shop and try on clothes. Although it wasn't exactly a place they would have chosen, they were more than happy to hold their bags and give them their opinions about the items they tried on.

And throughout the whole trip, Yashiro seemed to have the camera permanently attached to his hand. He took plenty of pictures, from each of the hotels to all of the special statues and buildings that could be seen from every corner. He even took a picture of Kyoko and Ren sharing a frozen hot chocolate at the Serendipity restaurant together, unbeknownst to the both of them.

But out of all the places they went, Caesar's Palace had to be Kyoko's favorite. Everything inside the hotel was made out of marble, from the shiny, cool floors to the colorful ceilings.

Even the water fountains consisted of marble and she nearly had a heart attack when the sculptures all began to move and talk during the hourly shows. One time, Kyoko was so immersed in the movements of the statues that she didn't even realize she had a hand placed on Ren's arm out of awe. Her mouth was slightly open and her eyes seemed to be as wide as marbles as she watched the water spray upward towards the ceiling.

Ren, of course, didn't pay much attention to anything except for her hand on his arm. And with a slight nudge from Kanae, Yashiro snapped one quick picture of Ren looking down at Kyoko before he went off with Kanae to give them time alone.

Sightseeing definitely used up a lot of their time on their vacation, but they didn't forget to participate in other activities as well. At the Venetian, they all went on a gondola ride through what seemed to be a small, quaint town in Italy. The sounds of the gentle water lapping on the sides of the large gondola and the eloquent singing of the gondoliers made it seem as if they really were on Italian waters.

And later on, Ren had a brilliant idea to do something slightly more thrilling than a boat ride. He invited them all to go on the Bootleg Canyon Flightlines. Yashiro was more than apprehensive about flying through the air and it took a lot of persuasion from Kanae to get him to strap the uniform on. But eventually, they found themselves soaring through the desert and the mountain terrain in nothing but a simple wire wrapped around their bodies. And even though they had fun, Yashiro couldn't be any more thankful that his feet were permanently planted on the ground afterwards.

Although the four of them practically went everywhere with each other, they always met up with everyone else at night for dinner. Booking a restaurant for forty people was quite difficult, but eating dinner with forty people was well worth it. Of course, Kanae and Yashiro were quite successful in always placing Kyoko right besides Ren, even when Ruriko tried to commit sabotage. And for every dinner, Ren and Kyoko could be seen in deep conversation with one another, whether it was discussing what they did that day or just talking in general.

Yashiro was extremely pleased with the progress between Ren and Kyoko, but even somewhat more pleased with his own relationship with Kanae. Much to his surprise, his nervousness around Kanae gradually disappeared throughout their trip and eventually he found it so comfortable to be with her that he almost called her by her given name once. However, he caught himself immediately, believing that it would be rude since she continued to address him as formally as before.

But sadly, even with all the fun that they had in Vegas, their trip was beginning to come to a close. And with just two days left, President Lory decided to book them all tickets to see one final show: KÀ Cirque du Soleil.

"So, the show starts at eight o'clock sharp and ends around ten. Therefore, I think we should all meet in the lobby at 7:20," he said as he everyone stood around him. "Agreed?"

They all nodded together, murmuring their excitement to see one of the best shows in Vegas. Kyoko was nearly jumping up and down in joy as she stood beside Ren.

"Have you seen this show before, Tsuruga-san?" she asked curiously, her eyes shining with enthusiasm.

He shook his head. "I haven't. But I've heard it's amazing."

Kyoko's eyes widened. Looking at her cell phone, she realized that it was already 6:00. That gave her about an hour to get ready. And as if called on cue, Kanae walked over to her and said, "Want to go freshen up then?"

Kyoko nodded.

But before she could leave, Ren suddenly called them back and said, "Would you like to meet up with Yashiro and I back at our room?"

She blinked in surprise.

"Since it's on the way down to the lobby anyway," he added quickly.

Yashiro walked up behind him and replied, "That's a terrific idea."

Kyoko smiled as Kanae nodded her head in agreement.

"That'll be great, Tsuruga-san," Kyoko answered as she began to walk towards the elevators. "Is seven okay?"

He nodded.

Then with one last smile, Kyoko and Kanae walked away.

Ren watched the both of them step inside the elevator, feeling a smile form upon his face as her eyes slowly met his tender gaze right before the doors slid shut. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Tired?" Yashiro asked as he placed a cold bottle of water in his hands.

"Thanks," Ren said as he unscrewed the cap. "And yeah, I'm a little worn out."

"We have been busy these past few days."

Ren chuckled. "Busy doesn't cover it. But it was fun."

Yashiro snickered and said in a low voice, "I'm sure Kyoko had a lot of fun too."

Ren looked at his manager out of the corner of his eye, gulping the icy cool water. Even though Yashiro thought Ren had no idea what he was up to, he couldn't have been farther from the truth. It was hard to hide something of this magnitude from him, especially when Yashiro kept coming up with excuses to leave him and Kyoko alone together. Therefore, wanting to give Yashiro a little taste of his own medicine, he finally closed the bottle up again and replied in a cool voice, "So did Kotonami-san."

Yashiro froze.

"But I have a feeling that you already knew that," Ren continued, pleased with his friend's reaction.

Yashiro blushed and shook his head. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Ren laughed and patted him on the shoulder. "I'm sure you do, Yashiro. In fact, I'm so sure, that I'm willing to make a little wager."

"On what?"

"A hundred bucks says that somehow, no matter what kind of tickets we get, you'll be seated next to Kotonami-san tonight and I will be sitting with Kyoko," Ren said with a smile as he walked forward.

Yashiro grimaced.

"_There goes a hundred dollars."_

_

* * *

_

CRASH!

"Kyoko?" Kanae called from her bedroom. "Everything okay?"

"Fine! Fine!" she exclaimed from the bathroom. "Just dropped my perfume!"

Kanae sighed. Shaking her head, she turned back to the mirror in front of her and put on the finishing touches of her make-up. Once she stood up and took a good look at herself, Kanae had to admit that she was quite pleased with her entire ensemble.

She was wearing a low-cut, backless dress made out of a navy blue silk that draped all the way down to her feet. Usually Kanae would wear some sort of wrap around her arms, but considering the heat in Las Vegas, she figured it should be fine to go out bare. She also decided to leave her hair down tonight, making it look like a cascade of silky ribbons upon her shoulders. And after one last smile at herself, Kanae decided to go check on her friend and see how she was doing.

Walking down the white hall in her black heels, she reached the entrance of Kyoko's bedroom and knocked on the doorframe since the door was already open.

"You ready?"

"Yup!" Kyoko exclaimed as she stepped out of the bathroom. "I'm done!"

Kanae's jaw dropped.

"You can't be serious."

"What do you mean?" Kyoko asked as she took a look at herself. "Is something wrong?"

"Your outfit!" Kanae said in exasperation as she walked in and grabbed Kyoko's hand, spinning her around in a circle.

Unlike Kanae who was dressed like she was going to a grand ball, Kyoko seemed to be dressed as if she was attending a high school dance. She had on a simple white skirt with a plain pink blouse that left her shoulders bare. And to make it worse, she wore silver flats on her feet!

Kanae clicked her tongue in disapproval. "No, this will not work."

"What's wrong with my clothes?" Kyoko asked as she stole another look at herself.

"It's too simple! We're going to a show, Kyoko. Not a movie theater."

Dragging her friend down the hall, Kanae pulled Kyoko into her bedroom and left her standing in the middle of the room as she rummaged through some of her shopping bags on the floor.

"I was planning on giving this to you later, but I guess now is the best time," Kanae said as she pulled out a white box from a large black bag.

"Here," Kanae replied, placing the box into Kyoko's hands. "Open it."

Bewildered and highly curious, Kyoko set the box on top of her white bed and untied the green ribbon. When she lifted the lid, her eyes nearly popped out of her head as she saw the dress inside.

"Moko-san! It's beautiful!"

"It's yours," she replied simply.

Kyoko shook her head. "I can't take this! It's too extravagant!"

"Mo, I already got it for you. And if you refuse it, I'm going to take it as a personal insult from someone who is supposedly my best friend."

Kyoko's eyes watered, full of emotion. "Moko-san!" she exclaimed as she flung herself into her friend's body, tightly wrapping her arms around her torso.

"MO! We're going to be late!" Kanae cried in exasperation as she pushed her friend off and into the bathroom. "Now go get changed!"

Kyoko smiled tearfully and nodded as she closed the door behind her. Kanae plopped herself onto the bed, tapping her foot on the floor with a small smile upon her lips. The clock only read 6:38 so they had plenty of time before they met up with Ren and Yashiro. And after a couple of more minutes, Kyoko slowly stepped out with a shy smile.

Kanae's eyes widened. The dress was perfect. Its design was quite simple really, but when placed on Kyoko, the gown completely transformed into a piece of art. The dress was made out of a deep red fabric that hit right at the knees and had a sweetheart neckline with crystallized straps on her shoulders. Cinched at the waist and flared at the hips, the gown made Kyoko look incredibly elegant and tall, not to mention Kyoko's natural ability to hold herself like princess.

Kanae smiled. "Now that's what I'm talking about."

"Really? It's not too much?"

"It's perfect," she said as she walked over with a comb and brushed through Kyoko's straightened hair. "And your make-up looks pretty good too. But your lips need some work. They're really pale. So here, use this gloss."

Kyoko smeared Kanae's pink, shimmery balm onto her lips and pressed them together. Smiling, she asked, "How about now?"

"Much better," Kanae replied as she placed the lipstick back into her small purse.

Kyoko giggled and gently hugged Kanae. "I'm so lucky to have a friend like you."

Embarrassed and slightly moved, Kanae fidgeted out of Kyoko's arms and said, "Well, I'm glad you realized. Now come on, let's go before we're late."

She smiled widely and nodded. After Kyoko grabbed her silver clutch from her bedroom and put on her red heels that Kanae forced her to wear, they both turned off the lights and shut the door behind them. As they finally entered the elevator, Kyoko said, "That's a really pretty dress too, Moko-san."

"Thanks, I bought it at the same store where I got yours."

"How come I wasn't there when you bought them?" Kyoko asked curiously, remembering that she accompanied Kanae to every botique.

"No, you were there," Kanae began with a smirk. "You were just too busy."

"Busy with what?"

"Looking at Tsuruga-san," she answered with a small laugh.

Kyoko froze just as soon as the golden doors slid open.

Once Kanae realized she wasn't moving, she grabbed Kyoko's wrist and pulled her out. "Oh stop it and come on. They're probably already waiting."

And after taking a left and another right down the hall, they arrived in front of a white door that had the number plate: 60251. Kanae bravely knocked upon the door twice and waited for just a few seconds before she saw Yashiro, dressed in a full black suit.

Kanae smiled. "Wow, you clean up nice."

"You too," Yashiro murmured softly.

And for one tiny second, they just stared at each other, completely lost for words. But like an electric shock, Yashiro suddenly jumped in surprise and said quickly, "You look really pretty too, Kyoko-chan!"

Kyoko, who was still quite unnerved by Kanae's comment earlier, didn't respond immediately. Her eyes seemed to become unfocused as her mind desperately tried to rearrange itself in realistic terms. But just as she was about to open her mouth in thanks, a soft voice came from inside the room.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

And feeling as if somebody had thrown hot water in her face, Kyoko felt her cheeks burn scarlet red as she stared into his handsome face. He wasn't in a suit like Yashiro, but he wore a dark maroon long-sleeve shirt over a pair of simple black trousers with a dark jacket draped over his arm. His hair was neatly slicked back, removing anything that would cover his face. Kyoko couldn't understand why, but she didn't have the will to avert her gaze. He was too mesmerizing.

Kyoko wasn't alone though. Ren couldn't get over how she looked either. He thought the bikini was going to be the end of all her wardrobe surprises, but he was dead wrong. She looked absolutely exquisite in the red dress and it nearly made Ren's heart stop altogether when his eyes wandered to her face. He had no idea if it was just him or the lighting, but her skin seemed to look smoother somehow and Ren had such an urge to delicately run his fingers across her cheek.

But shaking his head, he forced himself to smile normally and said, "You both look amazing."

Kanae smiled while Kyoko blushed profusely and murmured, "So do you."

Then with one click of the door closing shut, all four of them made their way down towards the lobby. No words were exchanged as they stood in the elevator, but the silence wasn't stifling or awkward. They all just wanted to take in this moment, not daring to break what seemed to be more like a fantasy than reality.

When they finally met up with the rest of the group, President Lory, who was wearing a full blown white suit, decided to split everyone up into two teams. Not to anyone's surprise, Yashiro, Kanae, Ren, and Kyoko were all in the same car, as well as Ruriko, Itsumi, Maria, and half of the Dark Moon cast.

After a good 25 minute drive, the two limos pulled up to the theater and all the passengers slowly made their way out. As a group, they walked inside the large building and saw a whole room open up right in front of their eyes, filled with thousands of red, plushy chairs and sitting booths that seemed to reach the sky. The stage looked to be the size of two football fields with some props already set up upon its surface.

President Lory quickly led them to the sixth row and after a few short minutes, it was completely filled up with their party. As everyone situated themselves into their seats, Kyoko found herself sitting with Ren to her left and Kanae to her right who also had Yashiro sitting on her other side.

"It's 7:53," Ren murmured softly to them. "The show should start soon."

Kyoko giggled. "I can't wait!"

Ren smiled warmly at her as she met his eyes. Kyoko tentatively smiled back, feeling her knees tremble from a feeling she had no control over. Then suddenly, as if he had remembered something just by looking at her face, Ren's eyes brightened and he leaned towards her ear.

Kyoko's eyes widened just for a second at the close proximity of his face until she softly heard his silky voice, causing her heart to throb erratically.

"Do you think you can pass a message to Yashiro for me, Mogami-san?"

She gave a slight nod.

He chuckled softly and said, "Tell him I'll collect my payment later."

* * *

"WOW…" Kyoko repeated with a shake of her head as she applauded with the rest of crowed. "JUST WOW…"

Ren chuckled even though he was sure she couldn't hear him over the crowd. The show had just ended and all the performers made their way onto the stage, bowing politely to their audience. Everyone was on their feet, applauding them for all of their amazing stunts and beautiful dances.

Kyoko couldn't get over it. The flexibility and the talent were breathtaking. Not to mention the fact that there was no dialogue whatsoever, but she could still understand the story completely as if someone was whispering it in her hear. And during the entire show, she knew that she was absolutely immersed in their movements, watching their every motion and hoping that she didn't miss a single second.

She felt so blessed to have had the opportunity to see it that when they all slowly made their way down the row, Kyoko couldn't help but feel sort of sad to leave. If she could, Kyoko would have sat down and watched the entire show from start to finish once more.

But knowing that it was impossible, Kyoko followed Ren as he walked down the row and into the carpeted aisle. As people were moving to the front, she suddenly realized how crowded it was. There seemed to be millions of people, brushing against her shoulder and almost stepping on her foot. Kyoko was staring to feel claustrophobic.

Then, as if he heard her every thought, Ren reached over and held her hand in his. She raised her head to see his reassuring smile. The overlapping noise was too loud to speak, but Kyoko understood what he meant just by looking into his eyes.

"_I'll protect you."_

Kyoko smiled back and gripped his hand tighter as they gradually made their way through. Eventually, they were completely separated from Kanae and Yashiro. Everywhere around them was a strange face and Kyoko tried to keep her eyes peeled for someone familiar.

Ren, on the other hand, was focused on the entrance. He could sense her slight anxiety when he felt her grip his hand just a bit harder than before. They still hadn't made it out of the theater yet and it had already been fifteen minutes. But after a good amount of patience and force, Ren could see the lobby just ahead.

But when he turned around to look at her face, he realized that his vision was practically obscured by the hordes of people. He could only see her pale arm, stretched out towards him. Ren squeezed her hand again and felt a wave of relief when she responded.

Pulling Kyoko along for what seemed like forever, they finally found themselves in the lobby. But just like in the theater, the whole entire place was practically flooded with people and not a single space was left empty.

"_Just a little farther,"_ Ren thought as he spotted the front doors at the end. "_We're almost—"_

And feeling as if someone punched him in the gut, Ren froze to a complete stop—because right at that very instant, Kyoko's slender hand was suddenly ripped out of his grasp.


	7. Chapter 7: Broken

Hello everyone! So for this chapter, I found it quite hard to write. There were certain moments that I'm not actually used to describing, but I think I managed to do okay. Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading this one as you do with the rest. Please Read and Review!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters.**

* * *

Ren felt as if someone had their hands around his throat, strangling him for any gasp of breath. He spun himself around, desperately in search of her flaming orange hair, but all he could see were hordes of people, pushing their way out. Going against the current, Ren tried to go back the other way, but it was impossible.

Their annoyed faces and irritated grunts pushed him towards the front doors. Ren would have used his voice to call out her name, but he knew that she wouldn't be able to hear him. It was way too loud. The sounds of the thunderous footsteps and the buzz-like conversation were practically pounding on his ears.

And in no time, Ren found himself at the front doors. Realizing that there wasn't any other choice, Ren pushed the door open and ran down the steps. His head was always in motion, swiveling back and forth to look for anyone that might have seen her. And right at the bottom step was Yashiro, standing beside Kanae who already had her cell phone out.

Ren ran towards them, feeling a painful throb in his body as he realized that they were alone. And when the two finally saw his facial expression, he could see their eyes widen in surprise. But not having the time to explain Ren approached them and said in a breathless voice, "Did Kyoko come out yet?"

Yashiro shook his head and stammered, "I thought she was with you."

Ren's body went completely numb.

"Kyoko's lost?" Kanae asked in a high pitch voice.

And knowing that the worse had happened, Ren shook his head and exclaimed, "I'm going to go look for her!" But before any of them could say another word, Ren had already run off in the other direction.

He had no idea where he was going nor did he know why his body was leading him in the route it did, but it was almost like an impulse. Ren allowed his legs to do the thinking as his eyes scanned the people he ran by. Everything seemed like one giant blur. He couldn't identify any of the faces and the panic he felt earlier was starting to rise up his throat.

He ran for what felt look like forever, turning this way and that, and feeling as if his legs were going to give out any second. But before he was even aware of it, he had reached the worse part of Vegas. The sparkling hotels and beautiful structures had all disappeared. Now all he could see were run-down liquor stores, old pubs, and vacant buildings. The streets were littered with drunken men and women who were standing beside the streets, looking with heavy-lidded eyes for their next customer.

Ren didn't want to believe that Kyoko was around here, but he had to make sure. Ren knew it was better to expect the worse than anything. His footsteps thumped on the cold, hard pavement that was covered with cards of naked women. Disgusted and revolted, Ren continued on his way, forcing himself to remain calm.

But seeing this side of Vegas wasn't helping him in the slightest. He imagined every worse possible scenario that could come to mind and each situation felt like a stab from a sharp blade. Ren was losing it. His hands were clenched into tight fists, beads of sweat were dripping down his forehead, and every ragged breath that ripped through his chest hurt like he had never felt before in his life.

And as his feet continued to carry him on, the atmosphere only got worse. It was getting darker while the stores around him looked more and more worn out. Eventually all that Ren could see were dark alleys full of dumpsters, broken crates, and the occasional sleeping man on the floor. By this time, Ren knew he had no choice. He had to call the police. At this rate, Kyoko could be anywhere and maybe even—

"_No!"_ he thought to angrily himself. _"She's fine. I know she's fine!"_

And feeling a new intense desperation sweep through his body, Ren forced his legs to go faster. He didn't care if he was going to collapse from exhaustion. He didn't care if he was getting lost. All he wanted was to see her innocent face and smile.

Ren made her a promise that he'll protect her no matter what happened. And God forbid, he was going to keep that promise even if it killed him. The streets were now empty. This part of the city was desolate, not a single soul in sight. Ren could only hear his shoes thumping on the floor and the gasps coming from his chest. He was alone now.

And just when Ren was about to take a left down another alleyway, he suddenly heard a voice that made his blood run cold.

"Hey now baby, don't be like that."

A whimper followed the male voice as more scuffling noises echoed down the streets.

Ren knew that sound. He knew who it belonged to. Seeing the man's face clearly in his mind, Ren doubled back and ran towards the alley, a part of him hoping that he would find Kyoko, but another part hoping that he didn't.

And just when he reached the very entrance of the pathway, his feet came to a complete halt as he stared with wide eyes at the four people in front of him.

It was the same goons from before, but this time…they weren't alone.

The bald one was standing on the right side of the blond male while the one with the black hair had his back against the wall of the old building, holding a young girl in his arms. Ren saw her face. He could see the silent scream in her eyes as her arms were roughly held behind her back.

"_Kyoko."_

Her red dress was torn at the shoulder straps and her lipstick was messily smeared upon her face. The left side of her cheek was a scarlet red and her hair was stuck to the side of her face in sweat. She didn't notice him standing at the end. She didn't see how he had completely lost himself in the fury that consumed every rational part of his mind. All she could see were the three men around her, ready to tear into her like they threatened just before they forcibly dragged her out of the theater.

"Come on Will," the hairless male said impatiently, "Hurry up and let us have a turn, why don't you?"

"Don't worry, Connor," the one with the black hair replied with a smirk as he leaned towards her ear. "She's not going anywhere."

"You know, if you relax a little bit, you might even enjoy this."

"Yeah, most girls do."

"They even come back for more sometimes."

"They like how it feels."

All three men laughed loudly in the dark as intense shivers ran down her spine.

Kyoko clenched her eyes shut, twisting her face away, but suddenly, the grip on her hands painfully tightened forcing her to open her eyes and to turn her head back. A deep chuckle echoed in her ears as she could feel a terror bubble inside of her. Her voice had completely escaped her. She couldn't find the will to scream, but even if she did, who would hear her? Who would come and save her from a place like this?

There was no escape. They had her completely surrounded. It was over.

"Now," Will murmured softly as his hands drifted down to the ends of her dress, "Let's have a little fun."

She bit down on her tongue and closed her eyes, bracing herself for his hands. His fingers had already gripped the ends of her skirt and she could feel him start to pull. He snickered and with one pull of his hand—

CRASH!

An earsplitting noise rang all around as Kyoko heard a body slam against the dumpster. Her eyes wrenched open and as soon as she saw his face, she felt her whole entire body crumple onto the floor in weakness.

"_Tsuruga-san…"_

"Will!" the black one haired one cried as he released her arms and stepped forward.

"What the—!"

But before the bald male could finish his sentence, his head was bounced back against the brick wall. His skull made a sickening crack as another hand gripped his neck and threw him down onto the floor. He lied there, completely motionless.

The black-haired male dashed forward with a yell, but Ren was too quick. In one movement, he spun around and elbowed him in the back, causing him to fall forward with a groan. Ren swung his leg back as far as he could and kicked him straight in the ribs, until his body crashed into a wooden crate on the side.

But before Ren could finish him off, Will, the blond male, had stood up with a silver blade in his hand. He rushed at Ren at full force and was able to nick him one on the shoulder just as Ren dodged the attack. Ren could feel the skin break, but he didn't care.

It was as if he lost every civilized part of his mind. All he cared about was tearing each of these three men apart until they were dead. He wasn't Ren anymore. He wasn't an actor anymore. He wasn't himself anymore.

So with one punch to the other guy's face, Ren could feel a sense of satisfaction overwhelm his senses as he heard a loud crack, indicating that he broke his nose. And with a strength that Ren forgot he had, he wrapped both of his hands around his victim's throat. This damn bastard didn't deserve to live and Ren was going to see it through. He stared into his horrified face as it started to turn blue, but Ren couldn't feel any remorse or guilt. In fact, he didn't feel anything at all.

The anger that was boiling inside him was too intense. It nearly crippled him. Ren couldn't stop even if he wanted to. The man squirmed in his hands, but Ren's grip only got tighter. The blond male's eyes were beginning to roll to the back of his head. His last breath was escaping him. And Ren was going to finish him off until—

"Tsuruga-san."

Ren froze, instantly dropping the coughing man onto the floor. Like a rushing wind, he felt everything come back to him. That soft voice that beckoned him back to reality…that tinkling sound that brought him to his senses.

Ren slowly turned around and saw her on the floor, her amber eyes looking up at him. He could see the fear in her face, the tears in her eyes, but there was something else as well. Ren didn't understand it, but it was almost as if she was the one who was saving him…from making the biggest mistake of his life.

She didn't say another word. She just met his dark eyes with her own warm gaze, pulling him back from a darkness that he greeted with such enthusiasm before.

The men on the floor began to stir. A part of Ren wanted to finish the job, but the larger part of him knew that his main focus had to be her. Her safety was what was most important. So with a deep, shaky breath, he stepped away from them and unclenched his fists. Fluidly slipping his jacket off his shoulders, he slowly made his way to Kyoko and held out a hand. She trustingly placed her cold hand in his as he gently pulled her to her feet.

Ren draped his warm jacket over her shoulders, covering her broken body. And without another look back, he turned her the other way, leading her out of the dark alleyway…and out of a nightmare she will never forget.

* * *

"Mo, where are they?" Kanae asked softly as she sat on the front steps of the theaters. "It's been over twenty minutes now."

Yashiro sat down beside her and shook his head. "Don't worry. I'm sure they're fine."

"How do you know?"

"It's Ren and Kyoko," he replied with a small smile. "They always know what to do."

Kanae laughed and nodded. "I guess you're right."

After Ren's abrupt departure, Yashiro and Kanae had both decided to wait back at the theater, just in case Kyoko or Ren came back looking for them. They told the others to go onto the restaurant without them and that they will catch up with them later once the other two came back. And finally after much persuasion, President Lory led the others away. But after waiting here for quite some time, Kanae was starting to feel sort of restless. If it wasn't for Yashiro, she would have left long ago, probably wandering around on the streets by now.

Seeing that she wasn't fully reassured, Yashiro cleared his throat and asked, "Did you enjoy the show?"

He figured keeping her mind off of the situation would be the best thing to do right now.

Kanae smiled at his effort. "I did. How about you?"

Yashiro nodded. "I was quite captivated," he replied as he looked up at the dark sky, not wanting to stare at her face for too long.

She laughed gently as he turned his gaze away.

"You know, I have to admit, this vacation was nothing I expected it to be," Kanae murmured.

"What do you mean?"

She laughed and looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "I never thought I would be spending all of my time here with you."

Yashiro blushed and averted his gaze. "Sorry about that."

Kanae shook her head and placed a gentle hand over his. Yashiro turned back with wide eyes.

"Why?" she asked with a gentle smile. "Because of you, I've been having a great time."

Feeling his heart beat rapidly, Yashiro swallowed the heavy lump in his throat and nodded. "Me too."

She laughed lightly, removing her hand from his and turning her head back to the bustling streets. Yashiro watched her eyes as they followed each person that passed. He noticed how her lips were perfectly curved and how her complexion looked as soft as silk. And sitting there with her made him realize how he truly did enjoy his time with her…and that if he had to choose anybody else to be with, it would still be her.

Suddenly, she turned back to him and raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Yashiro jumped slightly and stuttered, "I just want to say that I enjoyed being with you too."

Kanae smiled.

"And," Yashiro continued in a softer voice as he looked down at the palm of his hands, "that I really—"

ZZZZZZZZZZZZ!

Without giving it a second thought about, he automatically whipped out his vibrating cell phone and flipped the device open as Kanae instinctively leaned towards him, hoping that the news would be good.

"It's Ren," Yashiro said as he opened up the text message and read:

_Found Kyoko. Taking her back to her room now._

"Thank goodness," Kanae said with a shake of her head.

Yashiro nodded, feeling a huge sense of relief wash over him. And in one fluid motion, he suddenly got to his feet and extended out a hand. Kanae looked up at him with questioning eyes.

"Let's go," he said.

"Go where?"

"To see Kyoko of course," he replied.

Kanae blinked a few times in confusion, but eventually reached up a hand and placed it in his. With a gentle smile, he easily pulled her to her feet so that they stood face to face. And just when he was going to lead her to the hotel, he felt her pull him back. Yashiro turned around.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"We don't have to go."

"Why not?" Yashiro asked with a raised eyebrow. "You're worried about Kyoko, aren't you?"

Kanae shook her head. "If she wanted to see us, Tsuruga-san would have taken her back here, not to her room. Besides, I'm not as worried as long as Tsuruga-san is with her."

Yashiro sighed in agreement. "Do you think something's wrong?"

Kanae bit on her lower lip and shrugged. "I'm not sure," she replied slowly. "But I think he can handle it. Don't you?"

Yashiro smiled as he nodded. "I guess you're right."

After all, Ren was good at taking care of others and Kyoko was obviously in good hands. There wasn't any need to worry.

So with her hand still in his, Kanae gently pulled Yashiro in the opposite direction. "Let's just leave them for now and we'll go check on them later."

"Alright," Yashiro answered in agreement as he allowed Kanae to lead him wherever she wanted. Besides, he knew that she was right. Ren could handle anything and as long as Kyoko was with him, everything should be fine.

"_I'm sure of it,"_ he thought silently to himself as Kanae turned around and gave him a small smile.

* * *

Ren followed her footsteps as they slowly made their back to the familiar, flashy lights of Las Vegas. He stayed close enough to her so that she could feel his presence, but far enough so that their bodies didn't touch. Ren didn't want to make the situation worse. After the ordeal she faced, he wouldn't be surprised if she never trusted men ever again.

Throughout the whole time, Kyoko remained silent. She walked ahead with her eyes on the floor, listening to her quiet heels on the floor. Ren couldn't see her facial expression, but he figured fear was the first thing he would have seen. His eyes trailed down her body, trying to see if there was anything wrong, but the jacket that he placed around her covered her from the shoulder down. All he could he see were her pale legs and they seemed to be fine, except for her shoes that were scratched and torn.

Remembering how he found her in the alley, Ren could feel his rage return like violent tidal wave and he had to clench his fists together to stop himself from screaming. He could hear every word they whispered menacingly into her ear and see how they handled her as if she was nothing but a doll. They ganged up on one simple girl and took pleasure from doing so. Ren gritted his teeth together. They didn't deserve to be left alive.

He looked back at Kyoko's head, feeling a sense of remorse hit him like collision as he thought of what she had to go through. If he had held on to her hand tighter, none of this would have happened. If he had found her quicker, she wouldn't have had to suffer.

And to make things worse, she was probably terrified of him by now. Ren knew that in his rage he had completely reverted back to his old, dark ways. He was always aware that he was capable of hurting others. So his reaction when he saw them didn't surprise him in the slightest. But Kyoko didn't know any of that.

She had no idea about his past. She had no idea that he wasn't always the gentle person she thought he was. Ren had a dark side. He had a limit and tonight, that limit was practically obliterated. He would have killed those men if she hadn't stopped him. Ren knew that his hands would have been blood stained if Kyoko hadn't called him back. In a way, she was the one who saved him tonight.

Ren wanted to tell her that it was okay, that she didn't need to be afraid of him. But how can he say that when she almost watched him strangle someone? How could she not be afraid? At this rate, she would probably never want to see him again. If she was scared of him before, by now that fear would have turned to blatant horror.

Because no matter how hard he tried to deny it, Ren knew that he hurt her just like those bastards did. He didn't protect her like he promised. But instead, he revealed to her his true personality and shattered the very image she had of him. How could she trust him when she had finally realized that Ren wasn't the person she thought he was, but someone more terrifying?

Distraught and upset, Ren silently walked through the front doors as they stepped inside the front lobby of the Aria hotel. It was filled with smiling and laughing people who were enjoying their time in Vegas without a single care in the world. They didn't even notice Kyoko at all as she walked by. They didn't even bother to acknowledge the dead look in her eyes. They didn't see anything.

She walked towards the elevator and silently pushed the button. Immediately, a golden gate opened as she stepped inside. Ren followed in pursuit, standing next to her, but putting enough distance between them as to not scare her even more. He wanted to give her as much space as possible.

They stood in the elevator for what felt like eternity. They passed each floor in silence, Kyoko looking down at the floor and Ren keeping his eyes on the buttons. He didn't have the strength to speak to her. He couldn't even ask her if she was okay because Ren knew that he wouldn't be able to take it if she refused to respond to him.

Finally, they reached her floor. He didn't know where her room was, but she continued on in her mechanical stroll. Ren followed her, keeping his eyes on the room plates. Then, suddenly, she stopped in front of a room numbered 61143.

Ren watched her slip her hand into the clutch she held between her arm and body. He didn't even realize that she still had her purse on her. He figured it would have been stolen. But the men didn't take it. They weren't interested in what she had…only her.

After a soft whirring sound, Kyoko placed her hand on the doorknob and gave it a quick turn. The door swung open, revealing a dark and empty room. Kyoko stood out in the hall, unmoving.

Ren stood behind her. He couldn't avoid not speaking to her any longer. He had to ask her if she was okay. He had to at least say good-bye to her. Ren sucked in a breath, feeling his knees shake from anxiety, as he said in a quiet voice,

"Mogami-san."

She flinched, causing Ren to feel as if someone stabbed him right in the heart. He was right; she was afraid.

"Are you hurt?" he managed to choke out.

Kyoko didn't answer. She remained motionless, staring at the opposite wall. She didn't know what to say. The words were stuck in her throat, waiting for release, but she didn't have the strength to say anything. It hurt even to breathe.

Ren closed his eyes. It was painful watching her and he knew he was making things worse by standing here. He knew that she wanted to be alone, to be away from him. It was the rational response for her to have after what she went through.

Feeling as if his heart had died, Ren murmured quietly, "I'm sorry, Mogami-san. For everything."

And with one final look at her back, he turned to leave. No matter how much it hurt him, she didn't want him here. Kyoko didn't want him anymore. She never did and now she never will. He succeeded in the one thing he hoped to have never accomplished: losing her.

And just when Ren was about to take that agonizing step away from her, a familiar sound suddenly echoed in his ears. His heart came to a dead stop as he heard her say in a barely audible whisper,

"Tsuruga-san."

Disbelieving, he slowly turned around and met a gaze that nearly tore him to shreds. Kyoko was now facing him with her arms weakly hanging at her sides. Her eyes were pained and her lips were swollen from the abuse she suffered. Ren noticed how her body trembled and how it took everything she had for her to hold herself upright. But even through torture, pain, and misery, he realized that she was still her. She hadn't changed at all.

Because Kyoko didn't turn away as he stared directly into her hazy eyes. She didn't cower back from him when he automatically walked towards her so that he stood right in front of her. Instead, she bravely took a step forward and gently placed her forehead onto his chest. And speaking the words that she wanted to say ever since she saw his face in the alley, Kyoko whispered in a tearful voice,

"Please stay with me."


	8. Chapter 8: To Forget and To Remember

Hi there! So this chapter was quite difficult to write. I don't know if I was able to convey their emotions realistically and I'm even scared they might be slightly OOC. However, I hope you all like it because I worked hard writing it. Thanks again and please review!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters.**

* * *

Her words had completely taken over his mind. Ren couldn't feel anything, but the warmth of her body against his. Everything inside of him erupted into flames as his arms slowly wrapped themselves around her shaking shoulders.

He heard her sharp intake of breath at his touch, but eventually felt her body relax as he held her in his embrace. Ren didn't have the voice to speak, to say what he had wanted to tell her ever since he rescued her. But knowing that he had to respond in one way or another, he gently took a step forward, causing her to walk backward into the suite. And with one small kick of his feet, the door quietly closed shut.

They stood in the hallway together, allowing the darkness to hide the embrace they shouldn't be sharing. Ren knew that as soon as he stepped inside her hotel room that he wasn't going back. It was almost as if some kind of barrier had shattered to pieces and sooner or later, every emotion that he had bottled up inside of him was going to be released. And Ren wouldn't have the strength to stop it even if he wanted to.

He held her for an immeasurable amount of time, feeling her breaths come and go. If Ren had the choice, he would have stayed there forever. He didn't want to move at all in fear that he would wake up from his dream and realize that he was truly all alone. Ren didn't want it to end.

But suddenly, her hands went to his chest and she slowly leaned away from him, raising her head to meet his gaze. Kyoko stared back into his dark eyes and could feel her stomach tighten into knots. The beating of her heart increased dramatically to the point where she wanted to clutch her chest, hoping to ease it into a slower pace. And forcing her mouth to open, she whispered, "I should go change."

Ren waited to see any hint of her breaking down before he released her. After what had happened, he had expected for her to crash, to fall apart, or even cry. But she remained standing with a strength that surprised even him. And seeing that she was truly okay, he nodded and allowed her step away from him.

She turned around and walked towards her bedroom, silently making her way down the hall. Ren ran a shaky hand through his hair, in hopes of coming back to his senses now that he was by himself. But all he could think about was the warmth of her body and the tender words that she murmured outside in the hall. They rang in his ears like tinkling bells, a sound that he never wanted to forget.

Taking in a deep breath, Ren made his way to the living room. He sat down on the white couch and leaned his head back onto the cushions, closing his eyes. Ren allowed his sense of hearing to take over every part of his mind, trying to hear her movements, but not a single sound came from her bedroom. All that could be heard was the soft ticking of the clock above the fireplace and the calm silence of the darkness. Ren opened his eyes and stared at the dark ceiling.

He waited for the rage from earlier to return. Now that he was alone, he was free to express everything that he felt, but nothing happened. The only thing he could feel was an ache throbbing within his heart that had nothing to do with pain or fury. He looked around the room and realized with a burning desire that they were alone together, that she had indeed asked him to stay with her.

Groaning softly at his weakness, Ren placed his head in his hands. How could he think of something like that when she was obviously in pain? He should be focusing on her first. Her emotional and physical states were what mattered, not the wave of uncontrollable emotions that swirled around in his body and mind. And while Ren tried to ease the rapid beating of his heart, he suddenly heard a faint sound echo from down the hall.

_A sob._

Standing immediately, Ren moved with great, long strides down the hall. He followed the noise into the room on the left side and entered without a second thought. Ren froze to a standstill as he saw her standing in front of the mirror with her thin arms wrapped around her waist and his jacket lying crumpled upon the floor.

Kyoko slowly turned her head towards him and smiled feebly, fresh tears streaming down her face. "I look horrible, don't I?" she murmured in a surprisingly steady voice.

She looked back at the mirror and picked at the torn strap on her right shoulder with shaky fingers. "Moko-san is going to be so mad. She bought this just for me and I already ruined it."

Kyoko smiled weakly as another tear fell from her eyes. "I'm so clumsy."

Ren slowly made his way towards her, seeing her body tremble and her arms shake violently. He noticed the silent tears that fell from her eyes and how she tried so hard to pull herself together. Kyoko hated looking weak; it was the one thing she tried to avoid no matter how dire the situation seemed to be. And to watch her desperately try to uphold her bravery nearly tore Ren apart.

He stood behind her and without the slightest hint of hesitation, wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her back to his chest. Kyoko gasped softly as soon as their bodies touched.

"Don't fight it," he whispered gently into her silky hair.

Kyoko shook her head as a sob began to rise up in her throat. She didn't want to act like this in front of him. She didn't want him to see her like this. No matter how much it hurt, Kyoko knew she had to keep it together.

"I know those men hurt you, Mogami-san," Ren said in a pained voice. "I know that you're suffering."

She turned away from the mirror and looked down at his arms around her waist. Even though he was wearing a long sleeve shirt, she could see how his muscles stretched from holding her so tightly, but at the same time, she could see how much he was holding back. Kyoko could feel his warm breath on her neck and his soft hair falling on the side of her face.

And even though she felt as if her whole world had crashed, Kyoko couldn't forget the fact that he was still here. That even with all the trouble she had caused, he didn't turn away from her. Ren was holding her in comfort, not from pity or sense of duty. He was here because he cared about her and wanted to make her feel safe. Ren protected her and saved her, even when his own life was in danger. He placed her before everything and Kyoko understood immensely how much he sacrificed just to keep her safe.

Ren didn't deserve to see her like this. He didn't deserve to see her fall into pieces. He shouldn't be the one who puts her back together when he himself was in pain. But Kyoko couldn't stop herself. She couldn't hold back any longer because as soon as those words left his lips, she could feel the fear from earlier rise up within her body, begging to be freed.

So in one fluid motion, she turned around and helplessly sobbed into his chest as she felt her legs give out on her. Ren instinctively held her tighter, holding her to him and feeling her shake from the violent tremors that coursed through her slim body.

"I was so scared," she said with a breaking voice as her hands gripped the front of his shirt. "I was so scared of what they were going to do to me."

She gasped painfully as the memory flooded her mind, bringing back the terror she couldn't voice in the alley. "When they dragged me out of theater, I could feel my heart throb inside of my chest. It hurt so much. And when I realized that you weren't there anymore, I had never felt so alone."

A sob escaped her lips as she bit down on her tongue. Ren hissed in fury at the thought of what she had to go through. A part of him wanted her to stop, but another part of him knew that she needed to let it all out. Kyoko needed to voice her pain and Ren was going to help, no matter how much it would hurt to hear.

"They told me they were going to rip me apart," she whispered in a shaky breath. "They said that no one was going to come save me. I tried to put up a fight. I didn't want to give in so easily, but they…"

Kyoko shut her eyes tighter and moved her head from side to side, feeling as if their hands were all over her body right then. "They hit me and pushed me against the wall. I could feel their nails digging into my skin and tearing at my dress. Their sour breaths blew onto my face. Their lips trailed down my neck…I tried to scream, but I completely lost the will to speak."

Ren closed his eyes, trying to stop himself from imagining the painful pictures, but they flooded his mind like a horror movie he couldn't turn off. It was all too clear.

She sucked in a shaky breath as she murmured in a breaking voice, "I felt like I was dying. They wouldn't stop. They wouldn't let me go and when I thought everything was finally over—"

Kyoko suddenly raised her head and stared into his pained face with tearful eyes.

"—you came."

Ren leaned his forehead against hers with a grimace. "Not soon enough," he whispered in a low voice. "I should have been there sooner."

Kyoko shook her head. "When I saw you, I had never felt so relieved. It was almost as if I knew for a fact that everything was going to be okay. You came just in time."

A tear fell down from her eyes as Ren gently brought his hand to her cheek, wiping it from her face. "But when I saw the hatred in your eyes, I was so…"

Her breath hitched, rendering her speechless, but Ren could infer what she was going to say. It was exactly as he feared before. She was afraid…of him.

"I know you were scared of me," Ren replied in a strained voice, uttering the words he never wanted to speak aloud. "But I promise I won't hurt you."

And to his surprise, she laughed feebly and shook her head. "Scared of you? How could you think that?"

Kyoko looked at him with tearful eyes as she whispered, "I wasn't afraid_ of _you, Tsuruga-san. I was afraid _for_ you. Because of me, you got hurt."

And with nimble fingers, she brought her hand to his shoulder where the silver blade had cut into his shirt and skin. The wound wasn't deep enough to bleed, but the skin was broken, revealing the red, tender flesh underneath. "You saved me at the cost of yourself."

Kyoko slowly placed her head over his beating heart, breathing in deeply. "And for that, I'm so sorry."

Ren couldn't take it anymore. The words that left her mouth were hurting him more than any blade or knife. He didn't give a damn about himself yet she was the one that was worrying about him. Ren had never felt so useless.

"Tsuruga-san," she murmured quietly as her fingers dug into his shirt, bringing him back from his painful thoughts. "I don't want to remember anymore. I want to forget what happened. I want to forget it all…_please_."

At that last word, Ren's heart thumped loudly in his chest as he could hear the sound of her pleas ringing in his ears. He couldn't believe what she had said. Kyoko had completely made herself vulnerable to him, without worrying what would happen after.

And knowing well enough the serious consequences of what he was about to do, Ren brought a hand down to her chin and raised her wet face to meet his gaze. Her eyes slowly widened as she stared back into his face, filled with an emotion that practically strangled her for breath.

"Tsuruga-san," she whispered as he lowered his face closer to hers.

And with a heart that was on the verge of bursting into pieces, he murmured huskily against her skin, "Let me help you," as he pressed his lips against hers.

Ren knew that he shouldn't. That the kiss was wrong, that he should stop before it got any farther, but he desperately wanted to do as she asked. He wanted to erase everything from her mind, body, and heart. He could feel the shock that ran through her like an electric current as his lips moved against hers, but he didn't have the will to stop. She tasted just as he thought she would, sweet and warm.

Kyoko couldn't believe what was happening. A part of her told her to bring an end to this immediately, but another part of her yearned for him to continue and before she knew it, she was responding to his urgent kiss. Her mouth parted and gladly allowed him to take control of her. Kyoko realized that she needed this; she needed his warmth and tenderness. After the coldness she had endured, he was exactly the person that could save her.

Ren felt her hands cling to him as if she never wanted to let him go. He could hear the soft noises coming from her throat, causing him to tremble involuntarily. And when her arms reached up to his face, he offered everything he could to her. He was hers to take and Ren was willing to do anything for her.

He had no idea when he had picked her up and cradled her to the bed. All he could remember was lying her down on the white mattress and breaking off the kiss to look at her flushed face. Ren tenderly caressed her cheek with the back of his hand and realized that the nervousness he expected to see in her eyes was entirely absent. Kyoko looked back at him with a hazed expression as if she was still trying to understand what was happening.

Leaning down and placing his forehead against hers, Ren murmured, "I can stop."

Even though he didn't want to, even though he wanted to feel her lips forever, he had to take this slow. Kyoko was still broken from pain and he would never want to take advantage of her. After losing so much control tonight, the one thing that Ren didn't want to do was force her into something she had no desire for.

But suddenly, with an ease that she would have never thought she could act upon, Kyoko lifted herself off the bed and placed a tender kiss on the cut on his shoulder. Ren sucked in a sharp breath at the warmth of her lips as she whispered against his skin, "I want to forget, Tsuruga-san. Help me forget."

At that instant, every ounce of his control and every doubt that existed in his mind were blown to pieces as Ren roughly pressed his lips against hers, feeling her respond just as strongly. He slowly climbed on top of her, placing one knee between her legs and the other at her side. He held one of her hands to his chest while the other was placed at the side of her head so that she wouldn't have to feel his entire weight.

Kyoko felt as if her body was on fire. Whenever his hands trailed down her sides, sounds that she didn't recognize would bubble up inside her and escape from her moving lips. Everywhere he touched her, Kyoko could feel her heart beat faster and faster as if it was threatening to come to a dead stop. But she didn't care. She didn't care about anyone except the man who was holding her so tenderly right at that moment.

And while he trailed kisses down her neck, she realized that all she could focus on was his movements. Nothing filled her mind except for his flaming and gentle touch. Everything in her body screamed for him. The weight of his body, the softness of his lips, and the familiar smell of his skin…they were the only things that mattered to Kyoko. Ren was the only person that mattered.

Their breaths became more ragged and ragged as their hands reached out to one another. Ren could feel the desperation in her movements and he allowed her to take whatever it is that she wanted. He was here for her and only her.

And once the need for air forced them to lean away, Ren returned his gaze to her face and felt his heart ache at the sight of her. Her mouth was slightly parted and her skin was flushed a light red, but her eyes glowed like two amber candles. He could see the trust that she still had in him and how willingly she accepted his feelings. It was more than he could ask for.

Kyoko breathed in deeply as she looked up at his loving face. She reached up a hand and tenderly ran her fingers across his cheek. She watched him close his eyes in contentment before he reached up and took her hand in his. The last thing Kyoko remembered that night was her vision becoming more and more unfocused as he pressed another kiss to her lips and murmured to the quiet darkness,

"I love you, Kyoko."

* * *

Kyoko tiredly turned to her side, moaning softly from the heavy sleep that rested comfortably on her eyelids. She could tell that morning had arrived already, but she wanted nothing more than to sleep for just a while longer. She remained in bed with her eyes closed as she allowed her mind to focus on her surroundings. It felt so relaxing lying on the sheets as her body seemed to unwind. If Kyoko had the choice, she would never leave.

But realizing that it was impossible, she slowly pried her eyes opened to be greeted with a hazy sunshine that shone through the white, sheer curtains. Kyoko rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand as she sat up, yawning and stretching her arms. Mechanically, she swung her feet to the side of the bed and was about to walk into the bathroom when a note on the bedside drawer caught her eye. Picking it up, she read:

_Saw that you were deeply asleep last night so I decided not to wake you. I'll meet you for breakfast later. –K_

Looking at the clock, she realized that it was only nine o'clock and wondered where Kanae would be at this hour. But not too worried about her friend, she slowly got out of bed and walked towards the bathroom.

After closing the door behind her, Kyoko slipped out of her red dress and turned on the showerhead, causing the room to fill up with smoky steam that obscured her vision. She tentatively stepped into the glass case and felt the warm water rain upon her bare shoulders and head. After lathering her hair with melon shampoo and washing her body, she easily stepped out and wrapped a long, thick towel around her chest. Clean and fully relaxed, Kyoko shook her head a few times and stood before the bathroom mirror. Raising her hand, she made large circular movements upon the mirror to remove the perspiration, but when her eyes trailed down her face, she let out a loud gasp as her hand flew to her neck.

With wide eyes, Kyoko gently ran her fingers across the deep colored mark. She had no idea where it came from. Thankfully, there was no pain or sting as she touched it, but it looked as if it was caused by something external. The mark was only the size of about two fingertips, but could be easily noticed if anyone paid any attention to her shoulder up. She shook her head in confusion and was about to disregard it as nothing serious, when her lips caught her eye.

They were swollen. And as if struck by lightning, Kyoko felt her body burst into flames as she remembered familiar hands running down her body. Her cheeks flushed scarlet at the memory of his warm lips that trailed kisses down the curve of her neck and how his strong arms held her body to his.

Feeling as if everything was put on blast, Kyoko quickly threw on some old clothes hanging on the rack and flung the bathroom door open. She stepped inside her bedroom and looked around for any piece of evidence to prove that last night actually happened. And when she was about to deem it as nothing more but a dream, Kyoko suddenly saw it.

His jacket was lying upon the floor. Slowly, she bent down and held the garment in her hands. She remembered how he had wrapped it around her shoulders last night…how he had walked her home…how he had held her and kissed her right in this very room…Kyoko could remember everything.

And with a rapidly beating heart, she walked outside and into the living room. She slowly looked around the room until finally, she saw him. Her lips naturally curved into a tender smile as her eyes fell upon his sleeping face. He was wearing the same clothes from yesterday with his head leaned back against the couch. He looked so peaceful sleeping, as if there was nothing in the world that could bother him from his rest.

Not even realizing that she had made her way across the room and was standing right in front of him, Kyoko was about to reach out a hand towards his face when a soft knock came upon the front door. Curious as to whom it was, she quietly ran towards it in haste, hoping that the noise wouldn't wake him. To her surprise, it was—

"Ruriko?"

She raised an eyebrow. "What? Not happy to see me?"

"No, that's not it! It's just—never mind, what are you doing here?"

"What does it look like?" she asked irritably, "I'm here to get you. Everyone's waiting downstairs."

Kyoko smiled. "You wanted to come and get me?"

Ruriko scoffed as she replied, "You wish. I was hoping to bump into a certain someone on the way, but he wasn't there."

Kyoko furrowed her eyebrows. "Who?" she asked curiously.

"None of your business!" Ruriko exclaimed angrily as she stomped her feet. "Now hurry up and get dressed, loser. I don't want to have to wait for—!"

She faltered as her eyes fell upon the jacket in Kyoko's arms. There was no mistaking who it belonged to. She clearly recognized it from the night before. It was HIS.

So swallowing the heavy lump in her throat, Ruriko said in a hoarse voice, "Isn't that Tsuruga-san's?"

Kyoko looked down and smiled. With a nod, she replied simply, "Yes."

Ruriko's eyes nearly popped out of her head as she cried, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH HIS JACKET?"

"He left it in my room."

Kyoko gasped at her blunder. _"Oh crap…"_

"YOUR ROOM?" she shrieked. "YOUR ROOM?"

"Ruriko, stop yelling!" Kyoko said as she nervously waved her hand at her to be quiet. "People are still sleeping!"

"WHY WAS HE IN YOUR ROOM?" she hollered even louder.

Kyoko's heart thumped loudly in her chest. She immediately looked down at her feet, too embarrassed to say anything. She couldn't speak of what happened. It was way too personal.

Ruriko, on the other hand, felt as if someone had pulled her feet right from under her. And on the verge of a heart attack, Ruriko shakily threw her dark hair over her shoulder and held out a hand. Kyoko raised her head with confused eyes.

"Give it here," she demanded as Kyoko raised an eyebrow.

"Why?"

"I'm going to give it back to him, of course!" she exclaimed with snarl. "Now give it!"

Kyoko shook her head. "There's no need for that, Ruriko. He's sleeping in the living—"

And like a slap to the face, she immediately placed a hand over her mouth as Ruriko's body froze up like a statue.

"What did you say?" she asked in quiet tones.

"NOTHING!" Kyoko cried. "Nothing at all!

"You said he's SLEEPING in your—!"

And like a nuclear bomb, Ruriko suddenly gasped in horror as she pointed at Kyoko's neck with a shaky finger. "WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?"

Wrapping a hand around the mark, kYOKO shook her head vigorously and exclaimed, "No, don't Ruriko! It's not what you—!"

"IT'S A HICKEY!"

"Ruriko please!" Kyoko begged. "Lower your voice! If someone hears—!"

"OH MY GOD!"

And seeing that she wasn't going to give up, Kyoko sucked in a breath and yelled at the top of her lungs, "STOPPPPPPPP!"

Ruriko fell silent, with her hand over her mouth. She couldn't believe it. It wasn't possible. He couldn't have…he just couldn't have…Kyoko had to be lying. This was all some sort of joke, some cruel, twisted joke!

So with a new found vigor and a belief that Kyoko was fooling her, she angrily opened her mouth and was about to yell some more when Kyoko suddenly jumped in with,

"Thanks for coming up here, Ruriko, but I got to go! See you!"

And without bothering to let her speak, Kyoko quickly slammed the door in her face and leaned against it, breathing heavily. She gulped for air as she felt her heart hammer loudly in her chest. Kyoko couldn't believe that Ruriko had actually spotted it. Out of all people to reveal it to, it had to be her! After what happened on the plane, Ruriko was relentless. Now, she was never going to make her life miserable. Kyoko sighed and slumped down onto the floor.

But while she sat on the ground, Kyoko realized with a heavy heart that that the mistake had already been made and that people were going to find out, one way or another. Moping wasn't going to stop the wildfire that was sure to ensue as soon as Ruriko met up with everyone else. So deciding to get up, she quietly made her way into the living room to see if he had awaken from the yelling, but saw that he remained in his undisturbed slumber.

And feeling as if all of her troubles melted away at just one look of his face, Kyoko smiled warmly as she draped his jacket over the arm of the couch and stood before him. Slowly and gently, she climbed into his lap and placed her head into the crook of his shoulder. He moaned softly as his arms instinctively wrapped around her curled body.

With a small giggle, Kyoko placed a chaste kiss upon his lips as she whispered, "Time to get up…Ren."


	9. Chapter 9: New Beginnings

Hey everyone! Sorry for the late update. I usually write faster but this week has been sort of crazy. Thanks for all the great reviews and support! Please read and review!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat or any of its characters.**

* * *

"So, are you going to say it?" President Lory asked as he walked alongside Ren towards the boarding plane. The rest of the group had already gone on ahead as these two lingered behind, having a quick talk before it was time to leave.

After a full, long week of nonstop fun, the last day of their paid-for vacation had arrived and they were all finally going back home to Japan.

Ren chuckled lightly as he shook his head, keeping his gaze forward and refusing to meet the calculating expression of his boss. "Say what?"

"That I was right, and you were wrong."

"I assure sir, I have no idea what you mean," Ren replied smoothly with a small smile. "What was I wrong about?"

President Lory frowned and said, "Aren't you the one that said this vacation wasn't going to be relaxing? If my memory serves me correctly—and rest assured that it usually does—you were the one who was dreading this trip."

Ren sighed and swung his duffel bag over his other shoulder as he looked out of the corner of his eye at his boss. President Lory raised an eyebrow, challenging him to admit defeat.

"You're right; I did say this trip wasn't going to be relaxing. And yes, I was dreading it."

President Lory grinned in triumph as he nodded and said with a loud voice, "Right, you did."

"But I wasn't wrong because in truth, I didn't relax at all," Ren continued with a small smile.

He turned to face Ren with a bewildered expression. "What do you mean?"

"Considering all that I've done this past week, I think that the last thing I've done was relax. It's been quite a hectic vacation to say the least."

President Lory chuckled deeply as he nodded his head and turned his gaze upward. "I guess so," he admitted as they both walked through the corridor leading to the plane. "You went through a lot."

Ren didn't say a word as the memories of the last couple days played through his mind. Even now, he couldn't believe that all of that had actually happened. It seemed practically unreal, from all the horrible events that ensued to the miracles that he thought would never occur in his life. Las Vegas really was unlike any other place in the world.

And the prospect of going back to Japan felt as if he was returning home from what felt like years than a measly little week. _So much had happened._ His head practically spun whenever he thought about it. Ren couldn't believe how drastically his life had changed before he even realized it.

"But at the same time," President Lory murmured softly, breaking Ren's reverie. "You won a lot as well. Wouldn't you agree?"

Ren laughed. "I don't think you're talking about the jackpot earnings since I spent them all."

"No," he replied with hearty chuckle. "That's not what I meant at all."

And with one last smile, they boarded the plane together and saw that almost everyone was already there. Plenty of people were moving about, talking in earnest about the trip and the souvenirs they bought. Everyone seemed to be full of life as they chatted away with a large smile upon their faces. It was a great ending to an unbelievable trip.

But when the President was going to go take his seat, Ren suddenly called out his name. He turned around with a curious look and realized that the expression on Ren's face had changed.

"Is something wrong?" he asked with worry, seeing the slightly dark look in his pupil's eye.

Ren shook his head and said, "I just wanted to ask sir. Did she talk to you yet?"

President Lory sighed deeply as he took a step towards him. Staring directly into Ren's eyes, he could see the anger he had witnessed yesterday when he came up to tell him of what happened the other night. However, no matter how angry he seemed to be, even the President himself was surprised at the amount of control Ren exercised as he talked about the ordeal she went through. He remained calm and told him everything that happened without exploding once. It was then that President Lory realized just how much Ren had grown as both an actor and a man.

"I haven't spoken to her about it," he answered after awhile with a shake of his head. "Has she mentioned anything since?"

"No," Ren replied with a frown. "She hasn't said a word."

"Then I think we should leave it as is."

Ren stared with wide eyes. "We're just going to act like it never happened?" he asked incredulously.

President Lory nodded. "I think it's best to leave things the way they are. Bringing it up might put her through unnecessary pain."

Ren frowned. He didn't like the idea of not addressing the problem. It was almost as if they had no idea what to do so they decided to completely overlook it. Even though she wanted to avoid it, Ren felt that it was best to deal with it now, rather than let it by buried deep inside her. He had no idea if she was truly okay and he had to make sure that she was before he could let it drop.

And sensing his clear frustration, President Lory laid a hand upon Ren's shoulder and said, "Don't get me wrong. If she wants to talk about, then of course we will listen. But a part of me believes that she doesn't want to bring it up."

He breathed in deeply as he realized that the President was right. Forcing her to talk about it wasn't the way to go either. Because just like that night, if she ever felt like it was too much, she would open up and say something. That was just who she was: not daring to say a word until it nearly killed her.

But while Ren's thoughts slowly wandered to her, he suddenly felt the President squeeze his shoulder in reassurance. He looked up with a smile and said, "Thank you President Lory sir. For everything."

He chuckled. "Your welcome, Ren. And you know, I've been giving this some thought for a while now and I think we should take vacations like these more often."

And screwing his face up in concentration, President Lory tapped a finger upon his chin and hummed in thought. "How about Hawaii next time?"

Ren laughed. "I don't know sir," he said with an amused shake of his head. "Another vacation might be pushing it."

President Lory smirked. "Well, I don't think you'll be saying that if _she_ agreed to come along, now would you?"

Ren faltered as he stared into his laughing eyes. This was exactly the kind of torment Ren was expecting to endure as soon as people found out what happened between the two of them. And he had a bad feeling that this was going to be just the beginning.

So with a shake of his head, he replied smoothly, "I guess you have me all figured out, sir."

President Lory laughed and gave him a quick nudge in the back, pushing him onto the plane. As soon as Ren stepped inside, his eyes naturally scanned the cabin for her flaming orange hair. He spotted Yashiro and Kanae immediately who were sitting beside each other on the right-hand side of the plane. They gave him a small smile in greeting and he returned one with a quick wave. But as his eyes looked up and down the plane, he realized he couldn't find the one person he was looking for.

Slightly bothered, Ren sat down in the fourth row where two seats were left empty. He placed his duffel bag on the floor and turned around, just to make sure if he had truly missed her, but to no avail. She really wasn't there. Ren frowned and was just about to stand up and look for her when her familiar face suddenly walked through.

In an instant, her eyes locked onto his and she gracefully walked towards him with a smile upon her face. She was wearing a light green turtleneck over a blue jean skirt and white sandals. Smirking at the high collar, Ren watched her sit down beside him with a blush that was already coloring her cheeks.

It still surprised him how easily she acted around him now. It was almost as if the first couple of years between the two of them didn't happen at all.

"Hello," Kyoko greeted in a somewhat breathless voice.

"Hi," he said with a smile. "What's with the shirt?"

Kyoko blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Isn't it sort of hot out to wear such a thick top?"

She blushed profusely and looked down at her knees. Clutching her hands together, she replied in a small voice, "It was the only thing that could cover it up."

Ren chuckled as he leaned in and whispered, "What? The kiss mark I left?"

Kyoko's ears burned scarlet red as she raised her head and whispered, "Don't say that out loud!"

"Why not? Are you shamed of it?" he asked playfully as his fingers trailed up to her cheek.

Kyoko shook her head vigorously and reached up a hand to lace her fingers through his. "Ren!"

And feeling his heart stop altogether, Ren smiled tenderly as he watched her eyes widen in surprise at the change of mood. He could never get used to her saying his name. It sounded so different when spoken from her lips and he loved how it rang in his ears like chimes.

But before he could say a word, the familiar female voice came over the intercom once again and announced that the plane would be flying in a couple of minutes. Kyoko looked upward and bit on her lower bottom lip.

Squeezing her hand, Ren asked, "Are you alright?"

She nodded and smiled.

Still concerned, he said, "How about we play a game?"

Kyoko laughed at his effort and shook her head. "It's okay. We don't have to."

"Why? It'll keep your mind off of the flight."

Shaking her head once again, she replied, "There's nothing to be afraid of."

"Besides," Kyoko continued with a small smile, "with you here, I know nothing can go wrong."

And feeling as if his breath was knocked right out of him, Ren slowly leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. He could feel her skin instantly heat up at his touch and smiled tenderly as she raised her head to meet his gaze. "Are you sure?"

Kyoko nodded and laid her cheek on his broad shoulder. Naturally, he placed his head on hers and closed his eyes.

"I'm positive," she said simply.

Ren laughed. "I'm glad. But you know, I had a good one in mind."

"Really?" she asked with curiosity.

Ren nodded as he opened his eyes with a tiny smile. "The subject was going to be a statement that consisted of three little words."

Kyoko frowned. "Three little words?" she repeated

Ren nodded, sensing her curiosity rise at the thought of a new challenge. She raised her head and asked, "What was it?"

"I think you can guess," he replied with a twinkle in his eye.

Kyoko furrowed her eyebrows as she tilted her head to the side in confusion. She didn't have a single clue.

"I'll give you a hint," Ren murmured as he brought her slender hand to his lips. "It starts with _I_ continues with _love_ and ends with _you_."

"I love you?" Kyoko guessed with a raised eyebrow.

Ren smiled widely. "I love you too," he whispered under his breath as he laid a gentle kiss upon her lips.

* * *

"Oh my gosh!"

"This is way too good to be true."

"You have got to be kidding me."

"Ruriko, don't say it like that. It's cute!"

"Guys! Be quiet!"

"Yeah, you'll wake them!"

"Just look at her face!"

"Her face? Look at his!"

"Please everyone, let's leave them be."

"Director Ogata, I thought Vegas would have made you a little more rebellious."

"Yeah! Besides, we're just looking."

"Hey President Lory, should we take a picture?"

"Well, who has a camera?"

"How about a cell phone camera instead?"

"That's good, Ren! Go take one."

"Oh goodness…"

"This is too funny!"

"SHHHHHH!"

Grinning with revenge, Ren sneaked towards the two and knelt down in front of them. He held his phone to his face and with one silent click, the picture was captured and he quickly made his way back to the crowd. They immediately took the phone out of his hands and chortled under their breath as they stared at the picture before their eyes.

"Ren, are you sure that's okay?" Kyoko asked nervously as she stood beside him, staring down at their sleeping faces.

"Don't worry. Let's just say, we gave them a taste of their own medicine."

And with one last smile, they walked back to their seats and left Kanae and Yashiro alone, sleeping together with their hands intertwined.

* * *

**So once again, another story comes to a close. I really want to thank everyone who reviewed and read. It means so much that you guys take such interest in the stories I write. Your feedback and comments truly help me to become a better writer and I can't express my gratitude enough. Thanks so much. YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST!**


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